Saif Castell Harlech ar ben craig uchel, gan roi un o'r golygfeydd gorau ar draws rhan ogleddol Bae Aberteifi a rhannau helaeth o Eryri i'r dwyrain tu ol iddo. Yn ol mytholeg Gymreig, adeiladwyd y castell presennol ar ben hen gaer a oedd unwaith yn eiddo i'r cawr Bendigeidfran, a drigai yno gyda'i chwaer Branwen, yr enwyd un o'r tyrau ar ei hol. Fodd bynnag, nid yw archeolegwyr wedi canfod unrhyw dystiolaeth o gaer Gymreig ar y safle cyn castell Edward I.
Comisiynodd Edward I adeiladu'r castell yn 1283 fel rhan o'i 'Gylch Haearn' enfawr o gestyll ar hyd arfordir Cymru i orfodi'r boblogaeth gynhenid i dderbyn ei awdurdod. Bryd hynny, roedd yn dal yn bosibl cyflenwi Harlech gyda llongau gan fod y mor yn dod i mewn yr holl ffordd at waelod y clogwyni. Pan wnaeth Owain Glynd'r warchae'r castell yn 1404 roedd y garsiwn yno yn hynod wan ac fe wnaethant ildio'n fuan. O ganlyniad, sefydlodd Glynd'r ei gartref teuluol a'i bencadlys milwrol yno am y pedair blynedd nesaf. Digwyddodd y gwarchae enwocaf, fodd bynnag, yn ystod Rhyfeloedd y Rhosynnau o 1461 tan 1468. Dywedir mai'r gwarchae hwn, yr hiraf yn hanes Prydain, a ysbrydolodd y gan 'G?yr Harlech'.
Ers y cyfnod Rhamantaidd, mae llawer o dwristiaid wedi cael eu tynnu i'r rhan ddiarffordd hon o Gymru, diolch i gyfuniad o safle trawiadol Castell Harlech a'i hanes cyffrous. Cyfareddwyd y newyddiadurwr Almaenig, Francis Bromel, ymhellach gan straeon lleol am ysbrydion a chanhwyllau cyrff yn hofran dros y corsydd cyfagos, a oedd wedi datblygu dros y canrifoedd wrth i'r mor gilio'n raddol.
Cofnod wedi ei ddiweddaru fel rhan o'r prosiect 'Taith i'r Gorffennol: Cymru mewn teithlyfrau o Ffrainc a'r Almaen' a gyllidir gan yr AHRC.
R. Singer (Prifysgol Bangor) a S. Fielding (CBHC), 2017.
Adnoddau
LawrlwythoMathFfynhonnellDisgrifiad
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 47-62" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 31-46" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 127-140" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 94-110" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 14-30" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 141-142 and Top of Tower" dated October 2005.
application/pdfETW - European Travellers to Wales ProjectDescription of a visit to Harlech Castle by Friedrich Althaus from 'Sommerbilder aus England und Wales' (1874). Text available in Welsh, English, French and German. Produced through the European Travellers to Wales project.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 1-13" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 78-93" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 111-126" dated October 2005.
application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 63-77" dated October 2005.
