A councillor from Snowdonia wants the Welsh Government to buy the site of Owain Glyndŵr's home just a mile from the English border. Although the hill does not look like anything special to the naked eye, it was once the home of the last native prince of Wales.
A petition will be considered for debate in the Senedd after it hit 10,000 signatures, five months after it was started by Plaid Cymru councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn. Historians believe the legendary Welsh leader could have been born at Sycharth Castle, near Llansilin in Montgomeryshire, however, English forces burned it to the ground in 1403.
According to Coflein, the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales, at Sycharth you can find the "well preserved earthworks of a medieval castle" which would have contained what a 1390 poem described as a 'fine wooden house atop a green hill' with a 'great lordly hall' within the bailey, a mill, fishponds and a deer park containing a lodge.
The privately-owned site has received funding from historical preservation service Cadw - but some believe the Welsh Government needs to go one step further and buy the site outright. The Bowydd and Rhiw councillor says the Welsh Government is "on the right track" but has not always been "fully committed" to ensuring that places like Sycharth are safeguarded and promoted.
Read more: Creepy Welsh mansion where Owain Glyndwr buried a rival is falling apart
"Everyone knows about Caernarfon Castle and the big Edwardian castles because they're big tourist attractions and there's lots to see," Councillor ap Elwyn said. "We've got a lot of other sites across Wales, but because they're not showstoppers, they're hidden out of sight.
"I'm determined to see Sycharth developed for the benefit of our nation and future generations - making the site easier to reach, better to walk, and that there are more resources available to tell the story of Glyndŵr properly. I hope this will be the basis for other important places for the history of Wales to be developed and celebrated."
The campaign has the support of other Plaid Cymru politicians, including MS for Mid and West Wales Cefin Campbell, who said: "I'm delighted that the petition calling on the Welsh Government to buy Sycharth has now gained 10,000 signatures and will now be considered for a debate in the Senedd.
"Sycharth’s place in Welsh and British history cannot be understated. However, despite the integral role it plays in our nation’s heritage, the site has too often been neglected by authorities."
Swansea West Labour MP Geraint Davies also supports the move to bring the historic site under government ownership. Plaid Cymru's leader in Powys County Council Elwyn Vaughan said: "Whilst some work has been done by Cadw to Sycharth over recent years, it remains neglected and overlooked.
"It is a site so closely linked with our culture, history and identity in Montgomeryshire and Wales as a whole, and I have no doubt that Welsh Government should be investing in this site for future generations."
Earlier this month, Cadw took ownership of Llys Rhosyr on Ynys Môn, the court of the medieval princes of Gwynedd, after the site was bought for £17,000. Llys Rhosyr has been made a scheduled monument, meaning it will be closely managed, with the expectation that it will be handed to future generations in the same state.
Campaigners hope that Sycharth gets the same protection. Cadw issued a grant to the site's owners to replace the stile with a lower and less steep structure and implement a more durable car park surface, with the work expected to be completed before the end of the financial year.
Read next
We asked people in Brecon what they think of the name Bannau Brycheiniog
Calls for Welsh-only place name after English name painted over on road sign
Councillor calls for referendum after 'outrageous' plans to explore congestion charge in Cardiff
The Welsh village named the best stargazing spot in the UK
Three parts of Wales named among the 10 most beautiful places in Britain
