Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn the Great's grandson, loses the castle to Edward I in 1277. Edward begins rebuilding it in a form recognizable in the surviving remains. Welsh forces capture it at the start of the 1282 war and burn both castle and town. Edward returns that year with Master James of St George to build a castle that will withstand attack. Completed in 1289, it survives Madog ap Llywelyn's revolt of 1294-95. That survival gives the surrounding town a period of stability in which to flourish. The fortified settlement's Welsh name suggests that it remained more an English colonial enclave than an integrated Welsh community.
Chapter · 7:24-9:08
Edward I's rebuilding before and after 1282
Edward I begins rebuilding in 1277, then commissions stronger defenses after the Welsh capture and burning of 1282. The completed castle survives the 1294-95 revolt.