Dolforwyn Castle perches dramatically on a ridge above the Severn Valley near Newtown in Powys, Wales. Built between 1273 and 1277 by Welsh Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the Last Prince of Wales, this stronghold was constructed to maintain Welsh control over the Severn Valley and challenge English royal influence in the Marches. King Edward I protested its construction in correspondence with the Prince, but the castle nevertheless became a symbol of Welsh resistance. Following a determined two-week siege by Roger Mortimer in 1277, the castle fell to English control and was subsequently granted to the powerful Mortimer family. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 1980s and 1990s revealed much about the castle's layout and construction, and the site now operates as a free-access scheduled monument under Cadw.
