188 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES. 



This caftle, from it's conftrudtion is evi- 

 dently of Britim origin, and Mr. Rowlands* 

 feems to have been of opinion, that it was 

 in exiftence fo early as the fixth century, 

 for it ;s one of the forts which he mentions 

 as being about $hat time in the poffeffion 

 of Maelgwn Gwypedd^ Prince of North 

 Wales, and his fon Rhun ap A/Jaelgwn, 

 during their contentions with the Saxon,s. 



It was built, no doubt, to defend the nar-r 

 row pafs through the vale into the interior 

 of the mountains, and from it's fituatjon, 

 feems to }iave been capable of affording 

 perfect fecurity to two or three hundred 

 perfons in cafe of an emergency. In this 

 caflle Owen Goch was confined for more 

 than twenty years, for having joined in a 

 rebellion againft his brother Llewelyn ap 

 Jorwerth, the laft Prince of Wales. It 

 feems to have been long in ruins, for in 



* Mona antiqua reflaurata, 149, 



Le- 



