Misplaced Pages

#946053

83-490: Dolwyddelan Castle ( / d ɒ l w ɪ ð ˈ ɛ l æ n / dol-with- EL -an ; Welsh : Castell Dolwyddelan ; Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ dɔlwɪð’ɛlan] ) is a thirteenth-century castle located west of Dolwyddelan in Conwy County Borough , Wales . Tomen Castell , a late twelfth-century tower, is located south-east of the castle. Dolwyddelan Castle was probably begun by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth ,

166-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under

249-586: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified

332-647: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had

415-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered

498-472: A family from neighbouring Eifionydd , purchased the lease and repaired the structure, but it was ruinous by the mid-nineteenth century. Between 1848 and 1850 the keep was restored and reconstructed by Peter Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby , and in 1930 the castle was placed in state care; it is currently managed by Cadw , the Welsh Government 's historic environment service, and open to

581-579: A military presence at the castle until at least 1290, when Gruffudd ap Tudur, the Welsh constable appointed in 1284, was still in office. Little appears to have happened at the castle between the end of the thirteenth century and 1488, when the lease was acquired by Maredudd ab Ieuan . According to the History of the Gwydir Family , compiled by his descendant Sir John Wynn, 1st baronet between 1590 and 1614, Maredudd

664-499: A new house, Tai Penamnen, nearby he may have valued the castle as a secure residence. It is possible that he heightened the keep, but Richard Avent considers it more probable that this work was undertaken by Edward I and that Maredudd instead preferred the spacious chambers in the west tower. Dolwyddelan became part of the Gwydir estate when Maredudd purchased Gwydir Castle c.  1515 , and remained so until being sold in 1895. In

747-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,

830-524: A pit is typically buried. Other types of pit latrines may include the Reed Odourless Earth Closet , the arborloo or treebog (very simple types of composting toilet ), or the twin pit pour-flush pit latrine, popularized by Sulabh International . The shelter that covers such a pit latrine is known in some varieties of English as an outhouse . In a location without longer term sanitation infrastructure, such as for emergency sanitation,

913-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into

SECTION 10

#1732884602947

996-422: A standard toilet . It is typically used to describe communal facilities, such as the shallow-trench latrines used in emergency sanitation situations, e.g. after an earthquake, flood or other natural disaster . Many forms of latrine technology have been used, from very simple to more complex. The more sophisticated the system, the more likely that the term "toilet" is used instead of "latrine". A pit latrine

1079-592: A tradition that the prince was born in the castle. Tomen Castell may have been built by Iorwerth Drwyndwn , the father of Llywelyn and eldest son of Owain Gwynedd , to assert his authority in the period of unrest after the death of the latter in 1170. At the summit of the outcrop are the remains of the small rectangular tower, which has outer dimensions of approximately 8.8 by 9.5 m (29 by 31 ft) and walls approximately 2.3–2.95 m (7 ft 7 in – 9 ft 8 in) thick. The outcrop falls away steeply to

1162-402: A trench latrine is a workable solution. It typically consists of a pit or a trench in the ground, 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) deep and 4 to 20 feet (1.2 to 6.1 m) long. A slit-trench latrine consists of a relatively shallow trench which is narrow enough to stand with one leg on either side (see defecation postures ). This type is used either by squatting, with the users' legs straddling

1245-547: A widespread problem by the end of 2020, with more than 3 billion people affected (46 % of the global population). Eradication of this public health threat is one of the United Nations' 17 goals for sustainable development. The word "latrine" is derived from the Latin lavatrina , meaning bath. Today it is commonly used in the term " pit latrine ". It has the connotation of something being less advanced and less hygienic than

1328-477: Is a simple and inexpensive toilet, minimally defined as a hole (pit) in the ground. More sophisticated pit latrines may include a floor plate, or ventilation to reduce odor and fly and mosquito breeding (called ventilated improved pit latrine or "VIP latrine"). Many military units, if intended for extended use, place basic shelters and seating over the pits. A pit is typically sited well away from any water sources to minimize possible contamination. After prolonged use,

1411-547: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Latrine The term "latrine"

1494-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as

1577-424: Is possible that the constable negotiated a surrender. The castle was immediately refortified, supplied with a siege engine built at Betws-y-Coed , and occupied by an English garrison which was supplied with white material from Ireland and white stockings to use as winter camouflage . Between 1283 and 1292 the castle was repaired and a new bridge and water mill constructed in the valley. English troops maintained

1660-617: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of

1743-488: Is still commonly used military parlance, less so in civilian usage except in emergency sanitation situations. Nowadays, the word "toilet" is more commonly used than "latrine", except for simple systems like "pit latrine" or "trench latrine". The use of latrines was a major advancement in sanitation over more basic practices such as open defecation , and helped control the spread of many waterborne diseases . However, unsafe defecation in unimproved latrines still remained

SECTION 20

#1732884602947

1826-406: Is the oldest part of the castle and consists of a basement with two storeys above. By the mid-nineteenth century it was ruined, with a large v-shaped area of masonry missing from the northern wall. The keep was extensively restored and rebuilt between 1848 and 1850 by Lord Willoughby de Eresby. The work included reconstructing the uppermost part of the keep, including the fake drains which project from

1909-401: Is uncertain when the west tower at Dolwyddelan was constructed, but it was certainly built after the curtain wall and the surviving dressed stone suggests a late thirteenth or early fourteenth century date. It likely replaced an earlier building, as at this point the curtain incorporates two latrine chutes which are contemporary with it. The tower may have been built by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ,

1992-494: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in

2075-461: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in

2158-659: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by

2241-525: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol

2324-508: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of

2407-662: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into

2490-618: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has

2573-467: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for

Dolwyddelan Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-467: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain

2739-589: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in

2822-522: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,

2905-481: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for

2988-508: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c.  600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of

3071-705: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and

3154-539: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published

3237-489: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,

3320-673: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither

3403-865: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak

Dolwyddelan Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-515: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer

3569-481: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to

3652-606: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of

3735-561: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of

3818-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of

3901-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within

3984-470: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over

4067-489: The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the now-ruined castle attracted the attention of artists and antiquarians. It was engraved by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck in 1742 and painted in 1788 by Moses Griffith for inclusion in Thomas Pennant 's A Tour in Wales , which includes a description and history of the castle. An account of the castle given in 1816 by the artist Edward Pugh in his Cambria Depicta suggests that one of

4150-406: The first floor. The line of the original gable is preserved in the south wall, and the side walls have an offset which would have supported the roof timbers. The fireplace in the east wall has a thirteenth-century back but otherwise dates from the restoration. The window embrasure to the left of the fireplace contains an entrance to a stair contained within the thickness of the wall, which leads to

4233-485: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of

SECTION 50

#1732884602947

4316-408: The grandson of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, who constructed similar towers at Criccieth and Dolforwyn . Alternatively, it may have been erected after the capture of the castle by Edward I 's forces on 18 January 1283, as a surviving account from the same year mentions the construction of a camera (lodging) at Dolwyddelan. The siege which brought the castle under English control did not last long and it

4399-463: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval

4482-469: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to

4565-496: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to

4648-511: The latter. It is also shallow, with a depth of about 15 cm (5.9 in). This type of latrine is often used in the initial phases of emergencies and is a simple improvement on open defecation fields. A rule of thumb in emergency sanitation provision is to allow 0.25 m (2.7 sq ft) of land per person per day. This means 2,500 m (27,000 sq ft) per 10,000 people per day, or nearly two hectares per week. Men's and women's areas should always be separated. An aqua privy

4731-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,

4814-655: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This

4897-610: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in

4980-592: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,

5063-502: The nineteenth-century restoration. The western tower may have been constructed in the late thirteenth century by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd or shortly after the English capture of the castle. The fragmentary remains of Tomen Castell, a small tower, stand on a rocky outcrop between the later castle and the Afon Lledr . The tower predates Dolwyddelan Castle and is the likely birthplace of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth , prince of Gwynedd and Wales, despite

SECTION 60

#1732884602947

5146-423: The north, east, and south, and was defended by a ditch on the west where the ground is less precipitous. It was replaced by the current castle. Dolwyddelan Castle was probably built by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth between 1210 and 1240 in order to guard the road from Nant Conwy to Meirionydd , which at that time ran along the valley side and passed close to the west of the castle. The castle was built at Ffriddgelli, one of

5229-419: The north-east wall. This was probably reached by a wooden bridge across the rock-cut ditch on this side of the castle; there is another ditch on the south-western side of the knoll. The highest surviving portion of curtain is to the south of the keep and reaches a height of 4 m (13 ft); the wall has a maximum thickness of 2 m (6 ft). The southern corner between the keep and curtain wall contains

5312-425: The original curtain wall and two latrine chutes in the north-east corner. The east wall is approximately 7.9 m (26 ft) high and contains evidence of a door and window on the ground floor and a fireplace with a hood on the first floor. The bottom half of a narrow window survives in the south wall; its dressings, as well as those of the surviving doorway jambs , are similar to those used at Conwy Castle , which

5395-613: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been

5478-464: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to

5561-445: The pit, or by various arrangements for sitting or leaning against a support structure. Such support may be simply a log, plank, branch or similar arrangement placed at right angles to the long axis of the pit. This type of latrine is not commonly found in developing countries but can be used for emergency sanitation. The shallow-trench latrine is similar to the slit-trench latrine but is wider (20–30 cm or 7.9–11.8 in wide) than

5644-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over

5727-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by

5810-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in

5893-421: The public. It was designated a grade I listed building in 1997 and is a scheduled monument . The castle is built on a small knoll and consists of a keep on the east side and a tower on the west, linked by walls to form a roughly circular enclosure. The building history is uncertain, but the keep is the oldest structure. It has been heightened twice, first by either Edward I or Maredudd ab Ieuan and second during

5976-753: The remains of an oven, and may mark the site of the kitchens. The curtain also contains the remains of a postern gate in the north-east corner. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It

6059-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of

6142-440: The roof. There is no evidence of a second-floor door from this stair, although the nineteenth-century rebuilding may have obscured the existence of one. As the second-floor windows also date from this reconstruction it is possible that the tower was heightened without a new floor being inserted. The west tower is ruinous, but originally consisted of two storeys with a single chamber on each floor. Its east and north sides incorporate

6225-450: The ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd , between 1210 and 1240 to defend an east–west route within the kingdom. It superseded Tomen Castell, a small tower possibly built by Llywelyn's father, Iorwerth Drwyndwn . Dolwyddelan was captured by Edward I of England in 1283, and despite being immediately refortified its military significance subsequently declined. In 1488 Maredudd ab Ieuan , a member of

6308-480: The ten hafodydd , or summer cattle grazing pastures, which belonged to the princes of Gwynedd in the Lledr valley. The rectangular keep is typical of those constructed by the Welsh princes in the thirteenth century, and bears a resemblance to the contemporary towers built by Llywelyn at Castell y Bere and Criccieth . The keep was initially freestanding, but the curtain wall was built by Llywelyn soon afterwards. It

6391-427: The towers collapsed around 1810. It is possible that a rough sketch from 1799 by J. M. W. Turner also depicts the castle. These accounts are valuable as they record the castle before it was partially restored and reconstructed by Lord Willoughby de Eresby , a distant descendant of Maredudd ab Ieuan, between 1848 and 1850. This work included raising the keep to its current height and adding the battlements . Dolwyddelan

6474-518: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from

6557-460: The wall and the battlements; renewing the existing doors and windows; inserting windows into the second storey; and extensive reconstruction of the north and south walls, including the latrine extension which projects from the latter. The entrance to the tower is on the first floor via a flight of steps which was originally protected by a forebuilding, now ruinous. The interior is currently a two-storey space, but would originally have consisted of only

6640-409: Was a member of a family from the commote of Eifionydd which was notorious for kindred feuds, and he moved to Dolwyddelan to both extend his influence and distance himself from his relatives. The castle at this time was partly habitable, as it had shortly before been occupied by Hywel ab Ieuan ap Rhys, a "captain" and "outlaw". The country surrounding Dolwyddelan was unruly, and although Maredudd built

6723-401: Was built by Edward I. The window was blocked in the fifteenth century, when an external staircase was built against the south wall to provide access to the curtain wall. There is no evidence of an internal stair and, if one existed, it may have been made of timber . The curtain wall encloses the space between the two towers. There was no gatehouse and the main entrance was a simple gateway in

6806-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through

6889-469: Was placed under the guardianship of the Ministry of Works in 1930 and is now managed by Cadw . The castle is both a scheduled monument and grade I listed building , and is open to the public. In 1980 the castle was used as a location for the film Dragonslayer . Dolwyddelan Castle forms a roughly circular enclosure around the knoll it occupies, and is constructed of local grit and slate rubble. The keep

#946053