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Castell Dinas Brân

WLS Wales · 13th century

Castell Dinas Brân in Wales
Photo: Llywelyn2000 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Castell Dinas Brân is a medieval castle, built by the Princes of Powys Fadog, which occupies a prominent hilltop site above the town of Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales. The presently visible stone castle was probably built in the 1260s by Gruffydd Maelor II, a prince of Powys Fadog, on the site of several earlier structures, including an Iron Age hillfort.

Dinas Brân has been variously translated as the "crow's fortress" or "fortress of Brân", with Brân as the name of an individual or of a nearby stream. An English name, "Crow Castle", has also been used since at least the 18th century.

Text adapted from “Castell Dinas Brân” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Castell Dinas Brân ranks #1,713 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #23 of the 100 mapped in Wales. Founded c. 1265, it is older than 68% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 825 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 3,551 times in the last 60 days, more than 78% of the atlas. 7 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Wrexham, 13 km away. It is one of the 27 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of North Wales. See how Wales compares in the castle statistics.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Castell Dinas Brân?

Castell Dinas Brân stands in Wales, at 52.97922°, -3.15957°.

When was Castell Dinas Brân built?

The atlas dates its founding to c. 1265. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Castell Dinas Brân?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #1,713 of 7,738 worldwide, and #23 in Wales. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.

What is the nearest castle to Castell Dinas Brân?

Chirk Castle, about 7 km away.

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