of the Barbican and Dungeon-
pit, together with some of the exterior offices, show them to be of
somewhat later date than the main building. They have, in fact, as Mr.
Clark remarks, more of an unfinished than a partially destroyed
appearance. The squared and jointed stones, so easily removable and
ready to hand, {16} proved no doubt a tempting quarry to subsequent
owners of Hawarden, who perhaps shared the faults of a period when
neither the architectural nor historical value of ancient remains was
generally appreciated.

It now remains to trace the history of the Castle, so far as it is known
to us.

In 1264 a memorable conference took place within its walls between Simon
de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, at
which each promised to aid the other in promoting the execution of their
respective plans. The King, who, with the Prince of Wales, was the
Earl's prisoner, was compelled to renounce his rights, and the Castle was
given up to Llewelyn. On the suppression of de Montfort's rebellion the
Castle reverted to the Crown, and Llewelyn was called upon by the Papal
Legate, Ottoboni, to surrender it. This he at first declined, but being
deserted by the Earl, who at the same time, in order to put an end to the
conflict, offered to him his daughter Eleanor in marriage agreed
afterwards to a treaty by which the Castle was to be destroyed, and
Robert de Montalt to be reinstated in the possession of his lands in
Hawarden, but to be restrained from restoring the fortification for
thirty years.

This stipulation appears to have been violated, for in 1281 the Welsh
rebelled, and under David and Llewelyn (who then made up their quarrel),
an attack was made by night upon the Castle, then styled Castrum Regis,
which was successful. Roger de Clifford, Justiciary of Chester, was
taken prisoner, and the Castle with much bloodshed and cruelty stormed
and partly burnt on Palm Sunday. The outrage was repeated in the next
year (Nov. 6th, 1282), when the Justice's elder son, also Roger Clifford,
was slain. Soon after this Llewelyn died, Wales was entirely subjugated,
and David executed as a traitor.

To this period may most probably be assigned the present structure. A
Keep, such as that now standing is not likely to have been successfully
assaulted in two successive years; nor does internal evidence favour the
idea that it was the actual work taken by the Welsh. Robert, the last of
the Montalt