During the more peaceful fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Rhuddlan loses administrative and strategic functions to other locations. Those alternatives are easier and cheaper to operate, so investment in the castle declines. Royalist troops still use it as a garrison during the English Civil War. Parliamentary forces under Thomas Mytton capture it after a siege in 1646. In 1648, they demolish parts of the castle to prevent further military use. Much of the visible destruction therefore follows a deliberate decision to disable the fortress after its capture.
Notable Point · 15:28-16:18
Administrative decline, Civil War service, and demolition
Cheaper administrative locations reduce investment in Rhuddlan, but its later Royalist garrison prompts Parliamentary capture and deliberate demolition.