Blaenllyfni Castle

Blaenllyfni Castle is a medieval fortress ruin in Wales featuring a rectangular layout with surviving walls, buttresses, and towers arranged around the site. A moat encircles the structure, emphasizing the defensive design that protected the fortification.

Peter FitzHerbert built the fortress in the early years of the 13th century, establishing it as a center of a Marcher Lordship. The site later became a flashpoint in conflicts between English and Welsh powers competing for control of the region.

The castle carries two names rooted in the landscape: Blaenllyfni refers to the source of the Llynfi river in the region. The name itself speaks to how water shaped the place and those who lived there.

Access to the castle requires permission from the landowners since it sits on private property with protected status. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and watch for uneven ground and partially unstable masonry structures on site.

The castle was a flashpoint for major attacks during medieval struggles for power in Wales, particularly by rival forces seeking to control this strategically important location. These assaults were part of larger conflicts that reshaped the political landscape of the region.