HOLT CASTLE AND BRIDGE
HOLT, NR WREXHAM
WALES


GROUP ..... SA



Holt is a medieval market town in Wrexham, just on the Welsh/English border. The River Dee is the natural border with Holt on the Welsh side and Fardon (its neighbour) being on the English side on the opposite side of the river. A medieval bridge joins the two.

This area has been occupied since the Roman times. A brickworks (possibly called Bovium) supplied clay tiles and pottery to the Roman Fort of Deva Victrix (Chester). The works was located just outside the town, as it stands today. Six kilns, a bath house, sheds and barracks were found by the River Dee.

Three Bronze Age butial urns have also been found in Holt.

Holt and Farndon had at times uneasy neighbours. Holt was accused of giving shelter to felons who ambushed Cheshire folk living and working in Fardon. Also during the English Civil War, Holt was Royalist where as the Parliamentarins set up camp in Fardon.



HOLT BRIDGE



This 14th century sandstone bridge was built during 1338 by John, Earl of Warenne. It links the villages of Holt and Fardon. The bridge contains ten arches, a Tower or Gatehouse (which contained the Lady's Chapel) and a drawbridge. The third arch, viewed on Holt's side, shows the strengthened arch where the drawbeidge was.

When the bridge was first built, people had to pay a toll to cross it.

During the English Civil War in 1643, William Brereton and his force of Parliamentarians lead by Thomas Myddelton attacked the bridge. They took the bridge on the 9th November 1643 and then won the town but never took the castle.


PARANORMAL ACTIVITY AT THE BRIDGE

There are two ghost tales from the bridge.

The first is that of a Civil War solider. This solider was killed nearby and his role was to guard the bridge. I beleive he could be a Parliamentarian guarding the bridge after they attacked and won the bridge. Has he come back to carry on with his job.


The second story is about two little boys who were murdered on this bridge. This sad tale takes place soon after the bridge was built. Their names were Madoc and Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. Their parents were Davydd (brother to Llewellyn, the last Prince of Wales) and his wife Emma.

After the death of Llewellyn (Davydd's brother), Davydd held a meeting of the Welsh Chieftains at Denbigh and they decieded to carry on with the war against the English. But soon after this meeting, Davydd was attacked near Holt and taken prisoner. He was put to death as a traitor to Edward 1st. Emma (who died in 1270) for reasons known only to herself, handed her two eldest children as wards to Edward 1st. Why hand your children over to the enermy?

The children came with thier own land that had been left for them by thier father. Madoc inherited Broomfield and Yale. Llewellyn inherited Chirk and Nanheudwy.

Edward 1st gave the children a guardian each. Madoc had John, Earl Warren as his guardian and Llewelyn had Roger Mortimer as his guardian.

One night, both guardians on horseback took the boys from Chester to Dinas. John and Roger plotted against the two boys and as they crossed Holt Bridge, they threw the boys into the river. Madoc and Llewelyn screamed for help but their heavy clothes pulled them under. The two men watched as the poor boys drowned.

John and Roger reported the matter to Edward 1st. Did they say it had been an accident or did the King know the truth? Either way, the king granted the boys estates to the men, apart from Holt Castle which the King retained.

The boys cries are said to still be heard at night.





HOLT CASTLE

The castle was built between 1277 and 1311. It was built from sandstone on top of a 39feet (12 meter) sandstone foundation. It was a five towered fortress with a lion motif carved into the stonework above the main gate. This gave the castle its nickname CASTRUM LEONIS (CASTLE LYONS). The castle had a stepped ramp leading to the main gate.

Holt castle was another castle built by Edward 1st soon after the invasion of North Wales in 1277.




In 1282, Edward presented this land to John de Warrene (the same man from the story about the two welsh princes's). By 1311, the castle was finished and a planned town had been laid out just for English settlers.








During 1400, the Welsh upraising lead by Owain Glyndwr, destroyed the town but the castle was not taken.

By the 16th century, the castle was not used.

In 1643, during the English Civil War, it was used to garrison Royalist troops. Three years later, after a long seige, Holt was captured by Parliamentarian forces. By 1650, everything had been stripped from the castle so it could not be used as a fortification by Royalists.

Between 1675 and 1683 much of the castle's sandstone had been shipped in barges to rebuild Eaton Hall. This had been organised by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet of Eaton.

All that remains today is the sandstone base and a little bit of the castle.




PARANOTMAL ACTIVITY AT THE CASTLE


... figures have been seen around the castle





Kath and I went to explore this poor remain of a castle and to see if we could find out who haunts the ruin.

The castle has been fenced off because it is crumbling away. Armed with our cameras and recorder, we asked questions.

Nothing was caught on either.

We moved to the bridge and spent some time walking across it and under the bridge on its banks. We conducted an EVP test and took photo's but we were unlucky again.