CHIRK, or Crogen, in the valley of the Ceiriog.--Henry was paying for the custody of this castle in 1164, and was provisioning it in 1167.[881] King John paid for the erection of a bretasche there, possibly after some destruction by the Welsh.[882] Probably the first castle of Chirk did not stand in the commanding situation now occupied by the castle of Edward I.'s reign, but is represented by a small motte in a garden near the Ceiriog stream, and close to the church. An Anglo-Norman poem of the 13th century attributes the first building of this castle to William Peverel, Lord of Whittington and Ellesmere, and says he placed it "on the water of Ceiriog."[883] No doubt it defended the passage of the stream, and an important road into Shropshire. PRESTATYN.--This castle defended the coast road from Chester to Rhuddlan. Henry II. granted it to Robert Banaster for his services in 1165.[884] It was destroyed by Owen Gwynedd in 1167, and does not appear to have been rebuilt. A low motte with a half-moon bailey, and a larger square enclosure, still remain. [B. T. S.] * * * * * Mr Davis has remarked that John was more successful in extending his authority over the British Isles than in anything else.[885] In 1211 he led an expedition into the heart of Wales, and reduced his son-in-law Llywelyn ap Jorwerth to complete submission. As usual, the expedition was marked by the building or repair of castles. The Earl of Chester restored Deganwy, which shows that the English frontier was again advanced to the Conway; he also repaired the castle of Holywell, which the _Pipe Roll_ shows to have been recovered from the Welsh about this time.[886] These _Rolls_ also show that in 1212-1213 John was paying for works at the castles of Carreghova, Ruthin, and Chirk, as well as at the following castles, which have not been mentioned before. MATHRAVAL, Madrael in the _Pipe Rolls_ (Fig. 40), near Meifod in Montgomeryshire, defending the valley of the Vyrnwy.--Here was the chief royal residence of Powys;[887] but the castle was built in John's reign by Roger de Vipont. It occupied 2-1/4 acres, and the motte is in one corner of the area, which is square,[888] and surrounded only by banks; though ruined foundations are found in parts of the castle. John himself burned the castle in 1211, when the Welsh were besieging it,[889] but the _Pipe Roll_ (1212-1213) shows that he afterwards repaired it. [D. H. M.] EGLOE, or Eulo, called by Leland Castle Yollo.--On the Chester and Holywell road, about 8 miles from Holywell. The mention in the _Pipe Roll_ of pikes and ammunition provided for this castle in 1212-1213 is the first ancient allusion to it with which we are acquainted. It is a motte-and-bailey castle, with additions in masonry which are probably of the reign of Henry III. The keep is of the "thimble" plan, a rare instance.[890] [B. T. S.]