Denbigh Castle and the town walls rank among the principal fortresses of Wales. They are much the most impressive of the baronial strongholds raised during the famous campaign of castle-building which accompanied Edward I's Welsh conquests.

Encircling a rocky outcrop overlooking the rich Vale of Clwyd, this huge fortress was begun in 1288 by Henry de Lacy, one of Edward's chief commanders. The influence of the king's architects is clearly stamped on the castle and its fortified town, the walls of which are nearly two thirds of a mile long.

After damage during a Welsh rising in 1294, the fortifications were continued on a even grander scale, culminating in a mighty triple towered gatehouse.

Broken-hearted after his son drowned in the castle well, de Lacy never quite completed his stronghold. Yet it continued to dominate the Vale of Clwyd for centuries, enduring a six month Civil War siege. Although a lesser known counterpart of Caernarfon and Conwy, the extensive fortification of Denbigh are equally well worth discovering.