Begun by Henry de Lacy in 1282, with the support of King Edward I, the site is dominated by an impressive triple-towered gatehouse, the link between the defended town and castle ward. A monumental masonry castle, possible erected on the site of an earlier fortress, consisting of a towered polygonal enclosure, c.102m by 80m, built in one operation with the town walls. A possibly intermittent ditch separated the castle from the town to the N and E, whilst to the W and S were a subsidiary mantlet wall, ditch and counterscarp.

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Name	Denbigh Castle
Alternative Names	Dinbech
Historic County	Denbighshire
Community	Denbigh
Type	Masonry Castle
Confidence	Certain
Remains	Major
Listed	Grade 1
Scheduled Ancient Monument	Yes
Ordnance Survey Reference	SJ051657
Eastings	305150
Northing	365770
Coflein (RCAHMW)	95209
Historic Environment Record	101960

Multi Map

StreetMaps

Books

• Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p106-9
• Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
• Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p62-6
• Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge)
• Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p73-5
• Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p59-63
• Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
• Smith, C., 1988, The Exchequer Gate. Denbigh - A Report on Excavations in 1982 and 1983 (Dept Archaeology. Newcastle University)
• Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p41-2
• King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p103
• Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p346-7
• Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
• Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p333-4
• Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (London) p240-1
• Neaverson, E., 1947, Medieval Castles in North Wales (Liverpool) p28-30
• Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p193-5
• Lowe, W.Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p196-200
• RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p39-41
• Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p420-21
• Williams, J., 1856, Ancient and Modern Denbigh (Denbigh) http://books.google.com/books?id=-ywLAAAAYAAJ
• Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47820#s1
• Gee, T., 1829, An Account of the Castle and Town of Denbigh
• Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol7 p41-2
• Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p388-9

Antiquarian

• William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#denb3]
• Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p97 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft

Journals

• Smith. C. 1988, ‘The Excavation of the Exchequer Gate. Denbigh. 1982-3’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol137 p108-112
• Smith. C. 1982, ‘The Exchequer Gate, Denbigh’ Archaeology in Wales Vol22 p33–4
• Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
• 1937, Archaeological Journal Vol94 p319-20
• Hemp, W.J., 1926-7, ‘Denbigh Castle’ Llandudno Field Club Vol13 p30-4 [abridged version of Y Cymmroder article]
• Hemp, W.J., 1926, ‘Denbigh Castle’ Y Cymmroder Vol36 p64-120
• Hemp, W.J., 1921, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol76 p323-8
• Williams, L., 1888, 'Denbigh Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol43 p94-100
• Ayrton, W., 1855-62, Chester Archititecture, Archaeological and History Society Vol2 p49-60
• 1853, 'Miscellaneous Notices' Archaeologis Cambrensis Vol4 p155 [report of fall of masonry]

Guidebooks

• Butler. L.A.S., 2007 [rev edn], Denbigh Castle, Denbigh town walls, Lord Leicester's Church, St Hilary's Chapel, Denbigh Friary (CADW)
• Butler. L.A.S., 1990, Denbigh Castle (CADW)
• Butler, L.A.S., 1976, Denbigh Castle, Town Walls and Friary, (HMSO)
• Hemp, W.J., 1935 [abridged 1954], Denbigh Castle (HMSO)

Primary Sources

• Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p160-1