Here in North Wales you're never more than a drawbridge-crossing away from some of the world's best castles. A bit more than 700 years ago, English King Edward I built a whole cluster of them (with the help of castle architect James of Saint George).
Once the scene of struggle and unrest, these days invaders are welcome at our castles. So you can march on Flint Castle, Edward's first Welsh castle; Denbigh – more fortified town than a castle; and Rhuddlan – with its sea port three miles inland. The castles at Caernarfon, Harlech, Beaumaris and Conwy have World Heritage Site status – visit them to see why. And don't forget Chirk Castle – it's the only castle from the time of Edward's reign still lived in today.
We've native fortresses, too. Built by our native Welsh Princes. Castles like Llywelyn the Great's Dolwyddelan and Dolbadarn Castles in Snowdonia. And Caergwrle Castle, Wrexham – built by Dafydd ap Gruffydd. How about a hike up to Castell Dinas Bran, Llangollen? – scene of a failed capture attempt by Owain Glwyndwr. Or a tough trek to Castell y Bere, Meirionnydd? If the uphill struggle doesn't get you, the views will.
Prefer something a little older? Offa's Dyke, an 8th century linear earth work stretches from Sedbury in the South, to Prestatyn in the North and takes about 12 days on foot. For something a little less gruelling, you could always march your legions to Segontium Roman Fort, Caernarfon or Prestatyn Roman Baths. Or take them through the Clwydian Range to Moel Arthur and Pen y Cloddiau – one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Wales.
Related Links:
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
www.walledtowns.co.uk
www.attractionsnorthwales.co.uk
www.princesofgwynedd.com
This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Beaumaris Castle on Anglesey was the very last castle built by Master James of Saint George for King Edward I.
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Dafydd ap Gruffudd built Caergwrle Castle at Caergwrle near Wrexham in about 1277.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Caernarfon Castle gained world fame in 1969 when HRH Prince Charles became the Prince of Wales.
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High on a hill above the town of Llangollen stands Castell Dinas Bran – a medieval castle and a hillfort all rolled into one.
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Castell y Bere in South Gwynedd was probably built by Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) in about 1221.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Chirk Castle near Wrexham has been continuously occupied since building work was completed in 1310.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Conwy Castle stands on a rocky outcrop on the banks of the river Conwy. It was built between 1285 and 1287 by Master James of Saint George for Edward I – with the help of about 1500 workmen.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Perched in an imposing position, the castle is still dominated by the twin-towered gatehouse built by Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great). Extended by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) and later remodelled by Edward I and Edward II.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Denbigh Castle is one of the largest and strongest walled towns in the whole of Wales – the gatehouse alone is one of the toughest defensive structures of its time.
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High above Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia stand the sturdy remains of Dolbadarn Castle. It was probably built by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, (also known as Llywelyn the Great) in the thirteenth century.
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Deep in Snowdonia, not very far from Betws y Coed stands a square stone keep – the lonely remains of Dolwyddelan Castle.
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King Edward I of England was born in 1239, the son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.
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No mean feat, castle building. Work started on Flint Castle, Edward I’s earliest castle in Wales, in 1277.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Building work began on mighty Harlech Castle in 1283, and was completed by the end of 1289 (employing nearly 950 men at its peak).
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Were it not for the handy work of master mason James of Saint George, King Edward I’s major castle-building project in Wales wouldn’t have been possible.
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Moel Arthur is one of a string of Iron Age hill forts built along the Clwydian Range around 2500 years ago.
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Offa’s Dyke is a massive linear earthwork dating from around the 8th century. It stretches from Sedbury in the South, to Prestatyn in the North and when it was first built it formed a marker between the Welsh kingdom of Powys and the Anglian kingdom of Mercia.
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Penycloddiau (or Moel y Cloddiau), Flintshire is one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Wales.
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Hidden away on the outskirts of Prestatyn are the small but interesting ruins of a Roman bathhouse, thought to have been in use for about 40 years from around AD 120.
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This attraction is Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) approved.
Rumour has it that Prince Gruffudd ap Llywelyn once had a palace at Rhuddlan. But the castle we see today was built by Master James of Saint George for Edward I between 1277 and 1282.
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Segontium Roman Fort, Caernarfon, was established in around 77 AD and held a regiment of about 1000 soldiers – right up until 394 AD (that’s almost 1000 years before Caernarfon Castle was even built).
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