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Holt Castle

WLS Wales · 13th century

Holt Castle in Wales
Photo: Peter Craine · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Holt Castle (Welsh: Castell Holt) was a medieval castle on the Welsh–English border, by the banks of the River Dee, in the village of Holt, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. Work began on the castle in the 13th century during the Welsh Wars.

In the medieval period, the five-towered fortress was actually known as Castrum Leonis or Castle Lyons because it had a lion motif carved into the stonework above its main gate. In the 17th century, almost all the stonework was removed from the site; only the sandstone foundation and a small amount of masonry survives.

Text adapted from “Holt Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Holt Castle ranks #2,281 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #36 of the 100 mapped in Wales. Founded 1282, it is older than 67% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 825 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. 11 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Wrexham, 8 km away. See how Wales compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗

Frequently asked questions

Where is Holt Castle?

Holt Castle stands in Wales, at 53.0779°, -2.88023°.

When was Holt Castle built?

The atlas dates its founding to 1282. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.

How famous is Holt Castle?

In this atlas's fame ranking: #2,281 of 7,738 worldwide, and #36 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 Holt Castle?

Caergwrle Castle, about 11 km away.

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