Denbigh is the first castle in this series from Edward I's second wave of Welsh construction. Unlike the sites begun in 1277, it followed Dafydd ap Gruffudd's renewed rebellion and the collapse of the earlier settlement. Dafydd had received the lordship in 1277 and built on the site before his 1282 rising brought Edward's army into north Wales. After the stronghold fell, Edward granted the lands to Henry de Lacy on condition that Master James of St George direct the new castle. Denbigh shows how Edward's policy hardened from negotiated stability toward direct territorial control.
Chapter · 1:05-4:33
Denbigh in Edward I's second castle wave
The opening places Denbigh in the 1283 castle-building wave after Dafydd ap Gruffudd's revolt, alongside Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech.