Ruthin tourist information
Ruthin Wales
The historical town of Ruthin is situated in North Wales with its origins in the 13th century. This is what was said of the town by Samuel Lewis in ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Wales’, 1833 & 1849:
"A borough, a market and assize town, a parish, and the head of a poor-law union, in the hundred of Ruthin, county of Denbigh; 8 miles (SE by S) from Denbigh, and 210 miles (NW by W) from London. ..... This parish and that of Llanrhud, which were originally one, are bounded on the south by the parish of Llanfair, east by the same and that of Llanarmon yn Ial, west by Llanfwrog, and north by Llanbedr. ..... The surface is beautifully diversified, the eastern part of Llanrhud embracing a portion of the Clwydian hills, and the western part of Ruthin the meanderings of the river Clwyd, with the fertile and luxuriant meadows on its banks. ..... The agricultural produce is equally rich and abundant, yielding fine crops of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips, together with grass and hay."
Ruthin Castle, a baronial castle ordered to be built by Edward I, around 1277, was largely constructed in 1282. It consisted of two wards and five round towers originally guarding the inner ward. All that remains are three towers and the ruined double-towered gatehouse. According to local history, the lordship of Dyffryn Clwyd was given to the Grey family in 1282 after the defeat of Llywelyn effectively ending the principality of North Wales. Up to 1400 the history of the castle had little to note.
In the early 15th century the castle was held by Lord Grey, a gentleman who had made an enemy of one Owain Glyndwr by trying to acquire the Dee estates of the Welshman. When Glyndwr was ready to launch his bid for an independent Wales, Ruthin and Lord Grey became the first target. The attack surprised all and Ruthin was ravaged and burnt. The Castle managed to hold out, but the Welsh rebel was not to be done out of his vengeance. Some two years later he defeated and English force at Vyrnwy and captured Lord Gray, imprisoning him at Dolbadarn Castle and releasing him on payment of a ransom of 10,000 marks. The Civil War saw Ruthin Castle resisting attack by Parliamentary forces, who returned to besiege it two years later in 1646 when the Royalist garrison surrendered to Major-General Mytton and the castle was destroyed by order of Parliament. Ruthin Castle is now a luxury hotel.
Ruthin aerial map
Please click on any icon on the Ruthin aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of Ruthin.
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