Holt Castle — Attraction in Holt

Holt Castle is another unassuming ruin, a squat sandstone stack decaying on the Welsh side of the River Dee; but during its heyday, Holt Castle was one of the most impressive strongholds in Britain. Constructed between 1282 and 1311, the castle was built by John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey to defend a strategic river. De Warenne was given the Welsh lands on which the castle now sit by Edward I, as part of the king’s wider plans for the invasion and subjugation of Wales. De Warenne was aware of James of Saint George’s work along the North Wales coast in the massive fortifications at Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Harlech. The castle at Holt was smaller but no less imposing or defensible. Holt Castle is very much an English construction, the land was shaped around the fortress. The 12 metre sandstone promontory on which the castle sits is not a natural formation but was created intentionally by quarrying out the area around it. The resulting moat was far deeper than it is today and was flooded by the Dee for much of the year. Holt Castle was pentagonal, with substantial towers on each corner. The castle was approached by a steep ramp up to the barbican. King Richard II used the castle as his personal treasure house. Owain Glyndwr failed to capture the castle during his rebellion in 1400. Apart from a brief period in late 1643 where the castle was held by the Parliamentarians, Royalists garrisoned Holt Castle throughout the Civil War. The garrison only surrendered in 1647 after 9 months of siege. The castle was slighted a year later After the Civil War, Holt Castle was largely dismantled. Using barges to carry the stonework down the Dee, between 1675 and 1683 Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet of Eaton, took the castle apart stone by stone to...

Sadly, very little here at Holt remains of the once grand five tower medieval Holt Castle, (Castrum Leonis or Castle Lyons) apart from the feel of the place, the scale of size, it's location in connection with the River Dee and small amounts of masonry around some of the old courtyard. In fact there is more of the castles sandstone just across the border at Eaton Hall, than what is actually left of the ruins itself... But that's another story. The history of the Castle is a truly fantastic journey through some dark times of that period and from it's completion date in 1311, right up until it was finally demolished around 1683; It's past events have played a big part of both Welsh and English history and even shaped many things of how they are today. A really interesting place, but if you read it's history before you pay a visit, then the place will be much more appealing. Because there is not a great deal left here, whichis a great shame. But history is history, we can not change the past both good and bad. But we can hopefully...

Wish I hadn't been drawn to this place by the rave Google reviews! For me, it was not worth travelling to for a visit. But if you are into castles and passing, it might be worth a stop. Interesting history, just not much left of it to look at (most of it was dismantled to be used for a manor house in Chester). It says something that the Welsh clearly weren't bothered about maintaining it. (It's looked after by English Heritage). All the protective fencing around the top of it, though for health and safety, makes the ruins look like an eye sore. They could have used wooden fencing / steps to blend into the environment and stop it from looking like it's under construction. Popular dog walking area for the locals, so visiting on a hot summers day meant the place smelt...