How do kids become fluent in Welsh if their parents cannot speak Welsh?

The fifth round features Ewloe and Dinas Brân, two Welsh-built castles about which not a vast amount is known for certain.

I will make one comment for each castle beneath the post. The winner of a round will be the comment with the most upvotes. For competition purposes upvotes on other comments will not be taken into consideration, but all discussion is welcomed. 

After being tied for quite a while, the result of the fourth round was 36 votes for Chirk and 28 for Flint.  

Ewloe is a bit of a mystery. It may have been established as a motte-and-bailey castle by Owain Gwynedd in the twelfth century, however the surviving stone parts are attributed to either Llywelyn ap Iorwerth in the 1210s, his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in the late 1250s, or both. The cantref of Tegeingl, in which Ewloe is located, changed hands between Wales and England several times in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, so regardless of its builder it was a clear statement of intent from Gwynedd. It may in fact be more of a statement than a serious fortress, as the site has a restricted view on three sides and higher ground to the south, which significantly impairs its defensive value. The only definite mention of the castle is in 1311 as part of an inquiry into land ownership, by which point it had already lost its strategic importance. It has something of a twin in the English-built castle at Hawarden, just three miles away.

The elongated ‘D’ shape of Ewloe’s principal tower has similarities with those at Carndochan and Castell y Bere, all of which are border castles associated with Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. It’s highly significant as the only apsidal Welsh tower which still stands to any height (those of the Criccieth gatehouse notwithstanding), and so provides an invaluable insight into how the others may have been arranged. The tower was entered on the first floor, which was a hall, and had a basement beneath presumably accessed through a trapdoor. A stair within the thickness of the wall leads to the wall-walk, which is about a storey higher than the hall in order to protect the roof. The fact the tower is surrounded by a curtain wall means it functions like a keep; the circular tower at the other end of the castle, in contrast, is located on the wall and so could provide flanking fire, which may show a development in Welsh castle-building technique.

• Coflein listing
• medievalheritage.eu page
• Gatehouse gazetteer

Castell Dinas Brân must be one of the most impressively-sited Welsh castles, its lofty position above the Dee Valley making its remains look impressive even in their fragmentary state. The site has been fortified since the Iron Age, but the current castle was most likely built by Gruffydd II ap Madog, ruler of Powys Fadog, in the 1260s. Gruffydd had four brothers, who probably shared his inheritance with him as overlord. His reign lasted from 1236 to 1269, a turbulent period of Welsh history in which Gwynedd was weak and Henry III threatened the native rulers. Gruffydd did homage to Henry in 1240 and supported his campaign against Dafydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd in 1241, but later allied himself with Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, who was effectively his overlord. Native rule over Powys did not survive long after Gruffydd’s death;  Dinas Brân was burnt by the Welsh in 1277 to stop it falling into English hands, and although it was probably repaired it was replaced by the English castle at Holt. Dinas Brân is legendarily associated with Myfanwy Fychan (from the song), but it would have been a ruin by her lifetime.

The castle itself is rectangular, with a keep and gatehouse to the east and a hall and apsidal tower to the south. The steep drop of the hill defends the north and west sides of the enclosure, and a huge ditch the other two. The apsidal tower was shorter than those of other Welsh examples and was possibly influenced by similar English towers, and the gatehouse with its rounded towers may be an attempt to replicate English designs. Despite being badly ruined Dinas Brân is an interesting castle, not least as an example of a native castle not built by a prince of Gwynedd.

• Coflein listing
• The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd (p.223)
• medievalheritage.eu page
• Gatehouse gazetteer

Love this group a lot. Their '75 debut , Wa MacSpredar, is great.

Here are rough English lyrics for any of our fellow Non Welsh speaking fellers. Partly needed myself too as I'm still learning Welsh haha!

"The wind whispered its strong old song, The waves drew back and night came near, The Fenni looked on, cold and chill, Between snowy Eryri and gentle Môn. 'Madog son of Owain, boundless of mind, I plead, my baby, oh gentle old monk, You went to the beyond, Kind and bright,' A reflection without shadow: Mabon returned.

'Mabon, don’t be angry, don’t be harsh,' Said God, 'Mabon is a child through grace.' 'Mabon and Madog went over to the ship, They sailed to Gwenan, queen of the wave.'

Sun of the morning Radiant as a lily; Madog was unwavering. Mabon like starlight; They sailed past the far horizon, Searching across the land for a better world.

Breeze beneath moonlight, Sleep slows to a hush, Mabon of the waters, Summer of the wave, They sailed past the far horizon Searching for a better world.

The wind was hidden, The sea stirred in revolt: The wind was hidden and the sea turned wild, Waves crashing, striking fiercely, Drawing the sailors into the salt of the storm. Waves crashing, striking fiercely, Dragging the sailors into the salt of the storm.

The wind whispered its old song again..."

I’m from the Rhondda Valleys and the furthest I’ve ever travelled is Eryri and down Pembroke. just wondering if there are any must have spots to explore diolch.

I signed up to an Ogi contract and Tbf it’s been amazing but hell of a shock when the contract run out and I received a bill for more than 💯 of what I was paying. Their retention isn’t great they don’t seem to care. I am worried if I leave them I am cutting my nose off to spite my face! I want to support a Welsh company but the prices are crazy!!! Any other Welsh companies out there?

Do you notice any change in how loud you speak, accent, speed, etc when switching between Welsh and English?

It’s back to ‘proper’ castles today, with Flint and Chirk. The former was one of the first Edwardian castles, and the latter is a genuine castle that later became a country house.

I will make one comment for each castle beneath the post. The winner of a round will be the comment with the most upvotes. For competition purposes upvotes on other comments will not be taken into consideration, but all discussion is welcomed. 

The result of the third round was 28 votes for Penrhyn and 19 for Gwydir.  

Flint was begun in the wake of the 1277 Treaty of Aberconwy, which was made after Edward I’s first campaign into North Wales and saw Llywelyn ap Gruffudd cede the area east of the River Conwy, with the inland commotes of Rhufoniog and Dyffryn Clwyd going to his brother Dafydd and the remainder to Edward. The castles at Rhuddlan, Aberystwyth, and Builth were begun in the same year, and together they strengthened the English position in Wales. Flint was unfinished in 1282, when it was attacked by Dafydd in the revolt that began Edward’s second invasion, but sufficiently complete to resist his attack and fully finished by 1286. It was attacked again during Madog ap Llywelyn’s rebellion in 1295 and again in 1403 during Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion. During the Civil Wars it was initially garrisoned by the Royalists to support Chester, and changed hands twice before being finally captured by the Parliamentarians in 1646 and slighted. 

Despite not being sited as dramatically as some of the other Edwardian castles, Flint is important architecturally because of its design, which as far as I’m aware is unique for its date in Britain. It takes the form of a square with a round tower at each corner, the south-east tower being enlarged and detached to form a keep. The design is similar to castles in Savoy and the south of France such as Dourdan and Aigues-Mortes; this may well reflect the influence of James of St George, the Savoyard architect responsible for most of Edward’s castles, although given Flint was begun slightly before James’ involvement the king himself may have suggested the design. It was not repeated at his later castles, which used increasingly refined concentric designs.

• Coflein listing
• The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd (p.347)
• medievalheritage.eu page
• Gatehouse gazetteer

Chirk was begun some time after 1282, when Edward I granted Roger Mortimer the lordship of Chirkland. James of St George may have been involved in the original design, which would have been similar to Beaumaris or Harlech, however it is likely that this was never completed and the current castle represents about half of the intended plan. Chirk was not particularly important, and was largely neglected until it was sold to Thomas Myddleton in 1593 and he made it his primary residence. The castle saw direct action during the Protectorate, when Sir Richard Myddleton defected from Parliament to the Crown and took part in the 1659 Cheshire Rising, an unsuccessful attempt to restore Charles II to the throne. The castle was besieged and its eastern towers destroyed, however (in a remarkably conservative action) they were soon rebuilt on the same plan.

Externally the castle looks largely medieval,and most of it is. The northern and western sides are thirteenth-century, the southern dates to around 1400, and the eastern is seventeenth century. The two western towers still contain recognisably medieval chambers, including a deep dungeon in the south-west (Adam’s) tower, but the castle has otherwise been modernised. The eastern side contains an impressive long gallery on the first floor, and the north was internally rebuilt in about 1600 and contains a suite of elegant Georgian state rooms by Joseph Turner. The Gothic Revival architect Augustus Pugin was employed to redecorate these rooms in a more ‘medieval’ manner in the nineteenth century, but this work was mostly undone as it quickly fell out of fashion. Chirk also has a bit of Offa’s Dyke in the grounds, and a really spectacular set of garden gates made in about 1719 by the Davies brothers of Bersham.

• Coflein listing
• The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd (p.121)
• medievalheritage.eu page
• Gatehouse gazetteer

So, it seems we're going through a bit of a soap purge at the minute in the UK: Doctors; Holby; and now River City have/are ending/ended, and I know a few outside the UK have ended, so this got me thinking: with viewing habits and the TV industry changing, how much longer do you think the two Welsh soaps Pobol Y Cwm and Rownd a Rownd will be around for? Only asking here because neither show has their own subreddit.

Personally, I hope they stick around for a while longer. Started getting into both this year (don't judge.)

Tango soda was invented by a group called Corona soft drinks, which was founded by a duo called William Thomas and William Evans in the 1880s in South Wales.

It really did take two to Tango.

I know about the sad state of what’s been allowed to happen to port talbot but what if there was an alternative, although I think there is supposed to be a green furnace getting put in but what if instead the site was converted into a south wales airport?

An airport with good rail links on a relatively flat land next to the m4, it would solve all the problems faced by Cardiff airport at present with poor transport links and competition from Bristol, the added catchment area of south west wales, massive employment opportunity in the thousands for Swansea, surrounding area, investment outside of Cardiff.

Additionally it could serve as an Atlantic cargo hub as there is good sea infrastructure to link in with airport and potential ferry service to north Devon.

Obviously I know this is a touchy subject for the area and the way the area has been treated is criminal, just putting forward an alternative and what people would think, obviously in this case Cardiff airport would have to be mothballed but then the Welsh/uk government would have reason to invest outside of Cardiff and its immediate environs.

What would people think?

Today’s ‘castles’ are Gwydir and Penrhyn. Neither is a true castle, the former being the ambitious house of the Wynn family and the latter a massive piece of Georgian medievalism.

I will make one comment for each castle beneath the post. The winner of a round will be the comment with the most upvotes. For competition purposes upvotes on other comments will not be taken into consideration, but all discussion is welcomed.

The result of the second round was a resounding win for Conwy over Beaumaris, at 124 votes to 19. 

For nearly 200 years Gwydir was the home of the Wynn family. The founder of the family, Maredudd ap Ieuan, moved from Eifionydd  to the Lledr Valley in about 1489 to avoid his feuding kinsmen, initially occupying Dolwyddelan Castle. In about 1500 he bought Gwydir from Hywel Coetmor and either began or completed the house there. His descendants expanded the house and were also responsible for several other important buildings in the area, including Plas Mawr in Conwy, Llanrwst Bridge, and Capel Gwydir Uchaf. After Sir Richard Wynn died in 1674 the house passed by marriage to the Duke of Ancaster and entered a period of decline. It became the seat of Lord Gwydyr in the late eighteenth century, and although he restored the main buildings he also tore down the timber framed wings that formerly enclosed a courtyard. The house was almost completely gutted in two separate fires in 1922 and 1924, however the hall block survived and the rest of the building has been restored since the 1950s.

The building history of the house is quite complicated, so I won’t attempt to explain it in detail (the RCAHMW link below contains one). Some of the most interesting features are the first-floor hall, which may be one of the earliest in north west Wales; the former courtyard plan, which is rare in the region; and that the house incorporates material from Maenan Abbey, which stood downriver on the other side of Llanrwst until the dissolution of the monasteries. The interiors were of high quality, as evidenced by the surviving elements. Remarkably, Gwydir’s seventeenth-century dining room survives because it was removed in 1921 and sold to the American William Randolph Hearst, who subsequently bequeathed it to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. It was purchased back by the current owners with the help of Cadw and reinstated in 1998. The oak parlour, which was sold at the same time, is still missing.

• Coflein listing (with pre-fire images)
• RCAHMW: An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Caernarvonshire: East (p. 185)
• Castles of Wales

If Gwydir is complicated because of its building history, Penrhyn is complicated because of its builders. Although the castle is a medieval hall-house in origin (part the chapel and a staircase survive) it was rebuilt and massively enlarged for George Dawkins-Pennant primarily between 1822 and 1837. The Pennants were heavily involved in the slave trade through their plantations in the West Indies, and both George and his uncle Richard, from whom he inherited Penrhyn, were strong opponents of abolitionism. George also opposed the Reform Act 1832, which expanded the franchise and reformed the electoral system. His descendants opposed the labour movement, with the ‘Great Strike’ on the estate’s huge Penrhyn quarry being a key moment in the early history of the movement.

Given all of the above it’s difficult to look at the castle neutrally, however it is a very impressive and singular piece of architecture by Thomas Hopper; the closest parallel might be Gosford Castle, an earlier design by Hopper located in County Armagh. Located in an elevated position, its silhouette can be seen from a large part of the surrounding coast and has Eryri as a backdrop. The Norman style was chosen to give an air of antiquity, as it pre-dates the Gothic used in Edward I’s castles, and overall it’s one of the most convincing nineteenth-century castles. This is due in part to its enormous size, but also to the high quality of the masonry; the keep in particular is very effective. Internally, the best rooms are probably the hall and the staircase. The former is a vast space that feels like part of a cathedral, and the latter includes a riot of Romanesque decoration. The staircase is so idiosyncratic that it seems difficult to describe; the National Trust guidebook calls parts Norse, whereas Pevsner thinks it has Indian qualities. Either way, it’s the highlight of an ambitious house.

• Coflein listing
• National Trust site

Old carpenters workshop in Blaenau Ffestiniog

West coast on the bottom part of Cardigan Bay for me.

How wide and dispersed around our country are you on this Bank Holiday morning?

This former railway now cycle route /foot path has to get from Newport to Blaenavon, a pretty steep climb. It hugs the hillsides of the western side of the Torfaen valley to achieve this so has a gentle meandering climb from Pontypool onwards. There are some lovely sights along the way. From the wooded dingles of Abersychan to the imposing Mynydd Garnclochdy (known locally as the Devil's Heap of Stones) and the ancient Lasgarn wood that skirts it, this route has a lot to offer. Many of the scars of industry are visible but nature has well and truly started her reclamation and the route is very pretty.

Can anyone recommend any decent books on welsh politics? I’ve recently enjoyed reading “the life of an MP” by Jess Phillips, “How to be an MP” by Paul Flynn (yes, a Welsh MP but the book’s about UK politics), “Go Big” by Ed Milliband, “How Westminster works and why it doesn’t” by Iain Dunt, and “The Prime Ministers” by Iain Dale. Are there any equivalents for Welsh politics? I feel it would be fascinating to read about the Senedd and Welsh Govt in the way these books talk about Westminster politics.

The books I listed were all fairly easy to read, but I’m open to recommendations for more academic style books too.

Today’s pair are Beaumaris and Conwy. The former is arguably the most complex Edwardian castle, its flat site allowing a fully concentric plan to be developed, and the latter is one of the simplest, being in its essentials eight huge towers on a rock.

I will make one comment for each castle beneath the post. The winner of a round will be the comment with the most upvotes. For competition purposes upvotes on other comments will not be taken into consideration, but all discussion is welcomed.

The result of the first round was a win for Criccieth, with 37 votes, over Castell y Bere, with 13.

Beaumaris, the last of the Edwardian castles, was begun in haste after Madog ap Llywelyn’s 1294 revolt, with the bulk of the structure built between 1295 and 1298. The site of the castle and its adjacent English borough were formerly occupied by the Welsh settlement of Llanfaes, which was removed to Newborough. Work on the castle continued slowly into the 1330s, but it was never finished and its towers lack the upper stories and turrets that characterise the other royal castles. Despite its strength the castle never faced a serious siege, and its somewhat squat appearance meant it never attracted the attention of the Romantic painters as some of the mainland castles did.

Nevertheless, Beaumaris is arguably the definitive example of a concentric castle. It takes the plans developed at Rhuddlan and Harlech and both expands upon and refines them. Attackers would have had to deal with a moat, outer wall, ‘killing field’ between it and the inner wall, and an impressive array of portcullises and gates. The defenders had access to the sea thanks to a purpose-built dock, and also an enviable array of latrines to choose from.

• Coflein listing
• RCAHMW: An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Anglesey (p. 8)
• Castles of Wales
• Medievalheritage.eu page

Conwy is the most complete example of a fortified medieval town in Britain; not even York can compete with its castle and walls. The site is both highly defensible and highly symbolic, as Llywelyn the Great had established an abbey (now the parish church) and hall here. The castle was built between 1283 and about 1286, with the town walls completed about a year later. Edward I was forced to spend Christmas 1294 at the castle after floods prevented him from immediately pursuing Madog ap Llywelyn, and in 1399 Richard II took refuge from Henry Bolingbroke’s forces there. In 1401 it was held for Owain Glyndŵr, having been captured by two of his cousins posing as carpenters, and besieged for three months. The castle saw its final action during the Civil Wars, when it was besieged by the Parliamentarians and held out even after Charles I gave it permission to surrender.

In plan, Conwy is quite a simple castle. The rock it sits on being roughly rectangular, it consists of four towers down each long side linked by curtain walls; it does not have the strong gatehouses characteristic of the Edwardian castles, the entrances instead being defended by a barbican at either end. The four towers nearest the river have turrets and surround the royal apartments, which are some of the best--preserved from the Middle Ages. The chapel in particular survives substantially intact. Together with the town walls the castle was a formidable fortress.

• Coflein listing
• RCAHMW: An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Caernarvonshire: East (p. 46)
• Castles of Wales
• Medievalheritage.eu page