Question #1

"I had a very short life as a castle, and my builder was the last of his line. My fall and destruction was the result of being too close to my English neighbor, who didn't like me at all! I was hidden underground until recently, but today I'm quite visible. What castle am I and can you explain my riddle?"

Yes, the correct answer is DOLFORWYN CASTLE!

Dolforwyn Castle, located along the Welsh-English border in Powys, was built by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (d.1282), the last native prince of Wales, in the 1270s. It was captured by the English almost immediately after it was completed, partly because it was seen as a threat to the nearby Norman castle at Montgomery. (Extra credit for remembering Llywelyn's famous response when he was informed that he did not have the King's permission to build Dolforwyn.)

Although Dolforwyn was a Welsh castle it's life as a Welsh castle was quite short, being captured during the first Welsh war of 1276-77. The castle was repaired and maintained by the English for about 50 years, after which it was abandoned. Dolforwyn lay almost completely buried until excavations began to reveal the plan of the castle beginning in the 1980s. Today Dolforwyn stands as a tribute to Llywelyn's defiance of English rule, and to the archaeological team who rescued this important Welsh castle from obscurity.