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Home , Aberdaron, Abersoch, Beaumaris Castle, Beddgelert, Bodowyr, Cadw

North-west itinerary: the and town walls of Edward I

From 1276 Edward I, King of , established a mighty set of castles and towns in as part of his military campaign to defeat the Welsh princes. Amongst the castles built by Edward I are , , and , which collectively hold World Heritage Site status.

The castles represent the best building skills in Western Europe at the time, and were built over a short timescale and on a hugely ambitious scale. With massive curtain walls and towers and powerful , the ring of castles has a powerful presence in the landscape of and symbolises the huge effort by Edward I to dominate north Wales and fight against the Welsh resilience.

Conwy Castle and Town Walls Each castle has individual stories to tell.... was built by Master James of St George and is amongst the finest surviving medieval in Britain. It’s hard to believe that it was built at breakneck speed in four short building seasons between 1283 and 1287. Climb the towers and and find out how the Welsh captured the castle in the fifteenth-century from the English rule. To get the full picture, head for the , where there are breathtaking views across mountains and sea.

Harlech Castle and Town Walls ’s battlements spring out of a near-vertical cliff-face. After all these years Caernarfon’s immense strength remains Edward’s tried and tested ‘walls within walls’ model was put together undimmed. A brute of a fortress, Caernarfon Castle’s pumped- in super-fast time between 1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a up appearance is unashamedly muscle-bound and intimidating. thousand skilled craftsman and labourers. ‘Men of Harlech’, Wales’s King Edward I created what is without a doubt one of the most unofficial anthem loved by rugby fans and regimental bands alike, impressive castles in Wales and beyond, and the castle and town is said to describe the longest in British history (1461–1468) walls provided means to some communities in and others out. which took place here during the War of the Roses.

1 North-west Wales itinerary: the castles and town walls of Edward I

These spectacular monuments are a gateway for exploring the history of Wales in the heartland of the traditional Welsh princes’ stronghold. Interpretation on site helps visitors to explore the fascinating stories, from people to military and religious power, as well as home and spiritual life. Harlech to Caernarfon, Caernarfon to Conwy and Conwy to Beaumaris, each journey is approximately 45 minutes by car or coach.

Six other sites are also in the network of castles built or influenced by Edward I’s regime, his predecessors and subjects in north Wales: , Castle and Town Walls, , Beaumaris Castle on , is described as the most technically , Dolbadarn and . perfect castle in Britain, and the last hurrah of Edward I’s massive building project in north Wales. It was the thireenth-century hi-tech equivalent of a spaceship landing unceremoniously on Anglesey Visit cadw.wales.gov.uk to discover the stories and people behind today. However Edward I’s huge building effort ended up proving our 128 historic sites.

too costly and Beaumaris Castle was never finished, although the ‘Like’ Cadw on Facebook and follow @Cadwwales on Twitter or A59 A565 3 26 new town continued to thrive. download our smartphone app to stay up to date. M58 A570

7 M6 A58 6 A580 23 5 M57 Birkenhead A5025 2 Capel 1 M62 1 y Twr ˆHillfort Lligwy 5 7 2 6 A57 Lligwy 2 Mountain Hut Group Tregwehelydd Standing Stone Burial Chamber Great Ormes A551 3 1 Head 3 Roman Fortlet Priory Prestatyn

2 3 Hut Group Maen Achwyfan M Holyhead and St ’s Well A558 Rhyl Cross 4 e A56 4 Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones Presaddfed Beaumaris r Puffin Island Colwyn s e 5 Burial Chamber Castle y 11 ˆ 4 Bay Basingwerk M53 5 Ty Mawr Standing Stone B5109 Penmon Cross A5151 A548 12 Abbey 5 6 B5109 and Dovecote 6 Tre gnath Burial Chamber Holy Island A5 2 A55 A540 M56 Plas Flint 9 A55 4 and Twthill ˆ Ty Newydd Burial Chamber A545 Mawr Conwy Castle Castle 14 A56 Burial Chamber Bangor St Winifred’s Chapel St Asaph A55 and Town Walls and Holy Well 11 7 A541 A550 Burial Chamber 10 Denbigh Friary, A55 A54 Lord ’s Church 7 Din Dryfol A4080 8 A470 and St Hilary’s Chapel Castle 12 Burial Chamber Bethesda B5106 A544 A525 A51 9 A49 8 A548 A549 Chester Burial Chamber Roman Fort Denbigh Castle Mold Roman Amphitheatre A5118 Chester Gwydir Uchaf and Town Walls A55 9 Castell Bryn Gwyn Castle A5 Chapel A51

1 A494 10 Caer Lêb Dolbadarn A543 A541 Alyn A41 Caernarfon Castle A4086 Castle Beeston and Town Walls Dee Betws-y-Coed Castle C a e r n a r f o n A534 A4085 Derwen Burial Chamber Conwy Churchyard Cross Dolwyddelan A525 B a y Wrexham A498 Castle A49 A499 A5014 A483 Blaenau Alwen Rug Chapel Valle Crucis St ’s Eliseg’s Pillar Abbey Well A525 A5 A4212 A525 Dee Whitchurch Llangar Llangollen Fawr A497 Old Parish Church Chirk Dee B4417 A41 Medieval House Criccieth Llyn Bala Castle A495 Harlech A494 A528 3 Castle Bala Lake Old Oswestry A470 Hill Fort

A499 Oswestry Dyffryn Burial Chamber Moreton Corbet A5 Castle Tanat A496 Lake Vyrnwy

A49 Bardsey Cymer Abbey A53 Island Haughmond Abbey A470 Severn Pont A495 Minllyn Vyrnwy A458 A458 A5 The journey time between each site is a maximum of approx. 45 minutes. Banwy A483 Welshpool Wroxeter 2 Cantlop Roman City A493 Llanfair Caereinion Bridge B4405 Dyfi A458 A488 Acton Burnell A490 Castle A489 A470 Montgomery Castle Mitchell’s Fold Langley Chapel A49 Aberdyfi Dy Furnace B4386 A489 B4518 Church Newtown Stretton

A487 Bryntail B4385 Lead Mine Borth Bishop’s C a r d i g a n Castle Severn Clun Llanidloes A488 B a y Castle

Aberystwyth A44 A483 Craven Arms Ponterwyd Wye Rheidol Llangurig Stokesay B4340 Castle A4120 A4117

Ithon Teme Ludlow Ystwyth Knighton A4113

B4343

A485 Rhayader Wigmore A488 Castle A456 Pontrhydfendigaid B4356 A44 A487 A470 Presteigne A49 A4112 Aberaeron Strata Florida Mortimer’s Cross B4362 Water Mill New Quay Abbey Tregaron Llandrindod Wells Leominster

A44 Aeron A44

A4110 Wye A482 A481 A485 B4343 A4111 A4112 A417

Aberporth B4337 B4567 Teifi Builth A480 A487 A486 B4459 Wells B4546 A438 Cardigan B4570 Lampeter Irfon St Dogmaels A465 A483 Llanwrtyd Wells Abbey A484 A475 A49 Carreg B4350 Arthur’s A4103 Burial Chamber Stone Hay-on-Wye Wye Strumble Hereford A438 Tywi Rotherwas Head Castle Newcastle A482 Chapel Newport Emlyn

A485 Llandovery Brecon Gaer Burial Chamber Bronllys A484 Roman Fort Longtown Cothi A40 A470 A487 Llynfi Castle B4313 Llanwrda Honddu Castle Wye

W A479 St Davids A478 Talley Sennybridge e s t u A465 e a Abbey A49 Bishop’s Palace r dd n le Llanthony Grosmont C C Llangadog l n ed r A40 Brecon Priory Castle d te Dinefwr A4069 au B4329 s a A4215 A40 Skenfrith E Dryslwyn Castle Monnow A487 Tretower Court Castle Llandeilo B4347 Castle and Castle A40 Ramsey St Non’s Llawhaden Tywi Island Chapel Castle White Goodrich

A466 Castle Wiston Castle A4067 Castle B4521 A48 Crickhowell Hen Gwrt S t B r i d e s St Clears A40 Carreg Cennen A40 Moated Site A40 B4312 Castle B4233 B a y Broad Llansteffan Brynamman Trothy Narberth A4068 Brynmawr Haven B4341 Haverfordwest Castle Abergavenny A4115 A470 Blaenavon Monmouth Skomer Priory A4221 A4059 A465 A4136 Laugharne A483 Ammanford Ironworks Castle Island A4076 A478 B4248 Wye A477 Castle Ystalyfera Ebbw A476 A40 A4075 A4066 Vale Milford A477 Carew Rhymney St Briavel’s 49 A474 Glyn-neath A467 Haven Pendine Loughor Cross A4048 Raglan Castle Merthyr Usk A4046 A484 Tawe Kidwelly A466 Saundersfoot Cynon Tydfil A469 Castle Burry Pontardawe A4109 A465

Skokholm A4043 48 Neath Tintern Port A4061 Island A4059 A472 Usk Offa’s M4 A4042 Abbey Pembroke Tenby C a r m a r t h e n A4054 A449 Dyke Carswell 47 45 Pontypool Lamphey 46 Castle Medieval House B a y Bishop’s Palace Loughor 44 Neath Abbey A4233 and Port Wall Castle 43 Afan Treorchy A472 Chepstow Neath Ebbw Cwmbran Runston B4295 42 Llanmelin Wood Bulwarks A4107 Blaengarw Rhymney Chapel Weobley A483 A469 Camp B4271 Roman Fortress Castle A4064 A4058 A48 SWANSEA Maesteg Taff 2 Swansea Port 41 M48 Parc le Breos Burial Chamber 26 Talbot 40 A4061 A470 24 A4118 Castle Margam Stones Pontypridd A468 A467 1 Worms Head Museum A4093 23 Roman Town A4063 Caerphilly The Mumbles 28 NEWPORT M4 21 Oxwich 38 Castle Newport 22 Port-Eynon Castle Coity 29 M4 Newcastle M4 30 S w a n s e a 36 Castle A48 Castle (Bridgend) Llantrisant 29a M49 32 17 B a y 37 35 Avonmouth 34 33 A4106 A48 St Quentin’s Castle 18a y Portishead r (Llanblethian) a Porthcawl u 19 Ewenny t Ogmore s

Castle Priory Burial Chamber E

Cowbridge M5 Penarth n Clevedon 20 A4055 r e

v St Lythans Burial Chamber e A370 S B4265 Barry Yatton Stanton Drew A38

Circles & Cove 21 Weston-super-Mare