ABERCONWY. '-^3 



antagonist, who had been slain at Buallt. Hav- 

 ing at length obtained the object of his ambition 

 by the entire conquest of Wales, he annexed this 

 country to the crown of England. He completed 

 the building of the castle in 1284, and surrounded 

 the town with walls: and fearing to trust within 

 them the members of the abbey which had been 

 founded here by Llywelyn ab lorwerth, he re- 

 moved them to his new foundation at Maenan, 

 near Llanrwst. 



Although the present town of Aberconwy was 

 enlarged and fortified by Edward the First, we 

 know that it was a place of some importance pre- 

 viously; we have no record relating to the town 

 which arose after the destruction of Dyganwy, 

 except that there was a fortress here called Caer 

 GyflSn, from the rivulet adjoining, built by Mael- 

 gwn Gwynedd in the sixth century, and that the 

 town was also called Aberconwy; for we have 

 the charter granted by Llywelyn to the abbey 

 here, which is witnessed and dated from Aber- 

 conwy in 1198. 



Edward left a strong garrison in the castle, and 

 made the town a free borough, ordering that the 



