Finding Ewloe Castle is a good example of the fun and excitement found in "castle hunting". We drove slowly along an length of the highway A55 where the map claimed the castle was located. Finally we spotted a small arrow-shaped sign pointing back into a field with the words Ewloe Castle. We pulled off the road, collected our hiking sticks and started off through a large field taking care to avoid the Welsh wildlife. We reached a gate which looked as if it had potential so after a comfort break, we followed a pathway through the woods. The long hike was well worth the effort for nestled in a vale deep in the woods was our quest, Ewloe Castle!

Ewloe Castle is one of the native Welsh castles probably built by one of the Welsh princes. It seems to have been built around the middle of the twelfth century on an old motte and bailey castle site. The motte in this case is very high and intact. Some evidence exists that the original structure was converted to stone approximately 1210 by the Welsh Prince Llywelyn the Great. The remains of a typical Welsh D-shaped or apsidal tower is present at Ewloe along with parts of the curtain wall on the upper and lower wards.

We highly enjoyed our exploration of Ewloe and recommend it to those interested in native Welsh castles as a dramatic contrast to the larger defensive castles of Edward I.