Ring of Iron

{{redirect|Ring of Stone|other uses|Ring of stone (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

[[File:IronRing.png|thumb|350px|Castles of the Iron Ring, in approximate order of building.

1 = Flint Castle

2 = Hawarden Castle

3 = Rhuddlan Castle

4 = Builth Castle

5 = Aberystwyth Castle

6 = Denbigh Castle

7 = Caernarfon Castle

8 = Conwy Castle

9 = Harlech Castle

10 = Beaumaris Castle]]

The Ring of Iron ({{langx|cy|Gylch Haearn}}) or Iron Ring of Castles was a chain of fortifications and castles built across Wales at Edward I's command {{cite book|first=John |last=Davies|title=A History of Wales|date=1990 |publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=9780140284751}} after the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282 and the subsequent Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England.{{cite book|first=J. Beverley |last=Smith|title=Llywelyn ap Gruffudd: Prince of Wales|date=1998 |publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=0708314740}} Edward spent over £80,000 on all of the castles, with £20,000 being incurred just by Rhuddlan Castle, Aberystwyth Castle, Flint Castle, and Builth Castle.{{harvnb|Davies|1990|pp=165}}

The purpose of building the iron ring of castles was to control the native Welsh population, particularly in Gwynedd, which had been the main focus of resistance to the English crown for centuries.{{harvnb|Smith|1998|pp=582–605}} The jewel in the crown of the Iron Ring was Caernarfon Castle, which Edward intended to be his seat in Gwynedd and where he arranged for his son Edward II to be born.

Many of the castles begun after the end of the war in 1282 were the work of master architect James of Saint George.{{cite web |url=http://www.castlewales.com/edwrdcas.html|title=Welsh Castles of Edward I|last=Thomas|first=Jeffrey|date=2009|website=Castles of Wales|access-date=October 20, 2019}} Most castles were built with an integrated fortified town, as can still be seen at Denbigh. This idea of providing a fortified town was likely from Gascony in southwest France, where they are called bastides. Some towns, such as Rhuddlan, were not encircled in stone and instead were surrounded by wooden palisades and earthworks. By populating the bastides with English settlers, Edward created an outpost of England within Wales; Welsh were permitted to enter the town unarmed during the day but not to trade.

In July 2017, plans for an iron sculpture of a giant ring were announced as part of the £630,000 restoration project of Flint Castle, the first castle built in Wales by Edward I. This plan was met with criticism, and accusations were made that it was commemorating the Edwardian conquest of Wales, a contentious event among the Welsh public.{{cite news |title=Flint iron ring sculpture plans met with criticism |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-40703954 |website=BBC News|date=24 July 2017 }} Following a petition, plans for the sculpture were ultimately cancelled{{cite news |title='Insulting' Flint Castle iron ring plans scrapped |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-41187853 |website=BBC News|date=7 September 2017 }}