Enigmatic remains of an ancient fortress.
The River Prysor meanders gently through its valley in the south of Snowdonia. This is a quiet land, criss-crossed by dry-stone walls and grazed by livestock. Perhaps its most notable feature is a stone viaduct, built in 1882 to carry part of the Bala to Blaenau Ffestiniog railway. But 1½ miles to the east of this great bridge are the traces of an older, more enigmatic structure: Castell Prysor.
From the road, you can clearly see the distinctive crag of rock upon which the castle once stood. The rock is clad with local stone, almost vertical in places, and was once topped by a small tower made of stone or timber. Traces of the tower’s foundations still survive. It seems to have resembled the 12th-century keep at Dinas Emrys and Tomen Castell which, like Castell Prysor, made use of natural rock outcrops.
Around the bottom of the mound, to the west and east, you can trace three large rectangular buildings – the probable remains of a hall and accommodation blocks.
Some historians suggest that Llywelyn the Great built the castle in the early 13th century. Others think that it already existed when he came to power. Very little is known for sure. In fact, by the time that Castell Prysor first makes itself known in historical records, it might already have been destroyed. On 1st July 1284 the English king, Edward I, wrote a letter from Castell Prysor, as he toured the land he had conquered the year before.
Like Castell Dolbadarn and Castell Dolwyddelan, the fortress stands within extensive upland cattle pastures and controls a route through the mountains. If for some it lacks the romance, pedigree and grandeur of other princely fortifications, Castell Prysor, like the valley in which it stands, has a quiet, understated charm of its own.
The Prysor Valley offers some fine walks, and the path over the viaduct is particularly recommended
Free Entry
The castle is on the A4212, 3½ miles east of Trawsfynydd.
13 miles from Llandecwyn railway station.
No suitable bus service.
The castle is on the A4212, 3½ miles east of Trawsfynydd.
The castle is on the A4212, 3½ miles east of Trawsfynydd.
Easy. Walking boots recommended. Note on access: The castle is on private land but there is a great view from the top of the former Bala-Ffestiniog railway line.
The site can be viewed from the nearby walk along the former Bala-Ffestiniog railway line, see www.grabyourboots.com/walks/cwm-prysor-viaduct-trawsfynydd.