Historical background
Castell y Bere is a native castle site, a foundation of Llywelyn
ab Iorthwerth and probably the castle which the chronicle describes
him as building in 1221. Its principal function was probably
to guard the upland pastures of Cadair Idris. Though it has
been described as quite exceptional that a castle should be
built ‘aloft among the hafodydd', Castell y Bere does fall
within a pattern of castle building elsewhere in Gwynedd by
Llywelyn ap Iorwerth in the first half of the thirteenth century.
Dolbadarn, Dolwyddelan and the earlier castle at Dinas Emrys
are close to the valley floor but are, nevertheless, within
the boundaries of the royal hafodydd or ffriddoedd in their
respective commotes. Prysor, of uncertain date, and Carndochan,
are elevated and are among the ffriddoedd. Castell y Bere is
close to and, on the analogy of Dolwyddelan and Dolbadarn may
very well be, within the fridd of Pennant. The advantage of
these locations lies in control of mountain valley routeways
and access and protection of the valuable resource of cattle.
The ground plan is consistent with other native castles of
this period. It is possible that the massive curtain walls
which enclose an area formerly open and a rock-cut ditch in
front of the apsidal tower may reflect work of the year 1287
and the dangers posed by the threat of the rising of Rhys ap
Maredudd. The castle may have been destroyed and abandoned
in the aftermath of Madoc's rebellion of 1294.
Key historic landscape characteristics
Historic castle site; last stand of Welsh independence
Castell y Bere is situated on a spur of wooded rock in the
lowland pastures of the upper part of the Dysynni valley, adjacent
to the church of Llanfihangel y Pennant , and at the foot of
the lower slopes of Cadair Idris. It is a Scheduled Ancient
Monument .
It occupies an important place in Welsh nationalist consciousness
as the last garrison to surrender to the Anglo-Norman
forces, on 25 April 1283 .
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Landscape Character Map
