Mold Castle

Mold Castle consists of the remains of a Roman motte and bailey timber fortress built upon a natural hill. 

The first written record of a castle here comes from 1146 but it seems likely the castle we see today was built around 1100.

Mold Castle was the largest of several castles erected by the Normans along the Alyn valley The castle builders were essentially adventurers, carving out their own small fiefdoms on the edge of Norman-controlled English territory. All we know about the founder of Mold Castle is that he was a Norman soldier whose name was Robert.

Over the course of the 12th-13th centuries, the castle changed hands 5 times as the Normans fought with the native Welsh for control of the region. Owain Gwynedd captured it in 1147, and in 1167 Henry11 recovered it for the English. The last written record of occupation at the Castle comes from 1244. In the early 14th century, the area was controlled by the Montalt family, but the last Montalt lord of Mold died in 1329. After this, the castle was left to decay and lost its military importance.

During the Civil, WarMold was captured by Parliament, retaken by Royalists, and finally recaptured by Cromwell in 1648. In 1790 Castle Hill was encircled by stone walls by the Mostyn family and trees planted on the site to create a garden space. In 1890 the site was sold to Mold Council and in 1920 it was designated as a memorial garden in honour of WW1 soldiers from Mold.

Mold Castle is a fascinating site. Trees obscure the castle motte, but it is interesting to see how the site planned by the Normans evolved over time and was transformed into a public park and the Gorsedd Circle, looking for all the world like a prehistoric stone circle although it was only erected in 1923, adds a sense of history and timelessness to the site.