during the 12th century, dinefwr castle was built by lord rhys. the castle and grounds were seized by henry viii in 1531, and the estate owners, who changed their family surname to rice, subsequently had to buy back their property from the crown. the family were elevated to the peerage of great britain as baron dynevor. mary i is documented to have restored some of the land back to the rhys family, but it was not until the reign of charles i that the family fully regained their properties.