A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALFS. 2J 



it in the poflefTion of Alan, a noble 

 Norman, who they fay received it from 

 William the Conqueror, immediately 

 after the conqueft. 



Mr. Pennant * thinks that Sir Wil- 

 liam Dugdale is right in his afiertion, 

 that there was a caftle here at the 

 time of the conqueft ; for " the artificial 

 " mount on which it was placed incli- 



y 



" cates it to have been earlier than the 

 " Roman sera. The Britons and Saxons 

 " gave their fortrelTes this fpecies of ele- 

 <c vation. The Normans built on the 

 " firm and natural foil or rock ; but 

 " often made ufe of thefe mounts, which 

 " they found to have been the fite of a 

 " Saxon caftle. This appears to have 

 " been the cafe with that in queftion." 

 The town was deftroyed, in 1216, by 

 King John, on account of Llewelyn's 

 refufal toaflift in the contentions taking 



* Tour, I. 264. 



place 



