Denbigh is
an ancient market town located in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd. It
is an ideal base 
for exploring this beautiful part of North Wales whether
by car, walking the rolling Clwyd Hills or on the ever more popular mountain
bikes. Waymarked walks are to be found throughout the county of Denbighshire and
the Clwyd Range of mountains to the east. To the west are the Hiraethog
uplands and the Lakes of Llyn Brenig, Llyn Alwen and Llyn Aled, great
walking country and even better mountain bike trails. History
buffs are well catered for with an abundance of castles, medieval churches,
historic houses and market towns all to be found within the Vale of
Clwyd.
The town of Denbigh itself is dominated by the ruins of the 13th Century
Denbigh Castle, but there is much more than the castle to attract visitors
to Denbigh town. It is one of those "lucky towns", one that has, whether
by accident or design, been missed by the "developers" that have destroyed
the character of so many Welsh and indeed British towns.
Denbigh still
has the narrow streets with nooks and crannies to be explored.
Interesting old pubs hidden away in back streets intermingle with
quality shops. A pleasant High Street at the top of the hill with old
fashioned fruit and veg shops with colourful displays, butchers, bakers
and probably candle-stick makers! 
Optimistic cafe owners with al-fresco
tables and chairs, it doesn't rain in Denbigh anymore .. And all
surrounded by the glorious countryside of the Vale of Clwyd, just minutes
away.
But back to Denbigh's main claim to fame it's fascinating history. Denbigh
played an important part in the history of Wales. It was to Denbigh in
1282 that Dafydd ap Llywelyn
summoned the Welsh chieftains to carry on the struggle against the English
invaders after the death of his brother, the Welsh leader,
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Prince of Wales.
And it was in the strategically important town of Denbigh, after the
final defeat of the Welsh, that Hugh de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, built
the castle for the
English King Edward I. The castle and town suffered a turbulent history.
It was attacked and occupied by the Welsh in another uprising under
Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294 even before the castle was completed.
On it's
eventual return to English control the castle walls were strengthened
and it remained a powerful fortress until it played it's final role in
the English Civil War. For two years, 1643-1645, it was held by the
Salisburys for the King, and indeed King Charles stayed in the castle
after his defeat at Rowton Moor.
A year later and
it was one of the last castles to hold out for the King, eventually yielding
to a twelve month siege and surrendering to the Parliamentarians.
In 1661 the castle was slighted and no doubt
much of the town houses benefited from the abandoned piles of stone.
I
n
the 21st Century the magnificent ruins still brood over the town of Denbigh
with the Burgess Gate still an impressive structure and probably the
biggest of it's kind in Britain. The three octagonal towers of the Castle
Gatehouse enclose a grand chamber, now open to the sky, but high above
the entrance arch there still stands a headless statue of the English
King Edward.
The remains of the castle still invite invaders but of a more friendly
nature than of yore, with an army of tourists now to be seen marching
up the steep streets and alleyways to the old castle on the hill. (Well maybe
not an army of tourists)
There is an interesting story concerning the siege of Denbigh Castle
and the little village of Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch.
A Royalist officer
Captain Wynne was wounded in a skirmish, at what is now called Captain's
Bridge, and died some time later within the castle walls. Permission
was asked of the besiegers to bury the Captain at Llanrhaeadr on the
Ruthin Road but permission was refused.
The Parliamentarians however did offer that should the body be handed
over to them then they would bury the body in the desired place.
Eventually that was what happened, the dead Royalist being laid to rest
in his own churchyard by his enemies, and Wynne's tombstone can be seen
in the churchyard at Llanrhaeadr to this day. Visit the site of St
Dyfnog's Church in Llanrhaeadr >
