|
|
Castles In Gwynedd |
|
Criccieth Castle |
5
miles west of Porthmadog, on A497 The castle overlooks Tremadog Bay near
Criccieth. Built by Llywelyn the Great and extended by his grandson, Llywelyn the
Last.Later, after a fire it was abandoned. Now a ruin, it is still impressive, the
thick walls showing its strength. more information  |
Harlech Castle |
16
miles south of Portmadog, off A496 One of Edward I's
'iron ring' of castles, begun in 1283 on a rocky promontory overlooking
Tremadoc Bay. In 1404 after a long and bitter siege the castle surrendered.
Owain Glyndwr made the castle his stronghold but after a similar
siege in 1409 was forced to surrender to the English. It was a
Lancastrian stronghold under Dafydd ap Ieuan and his "Men of Harlech"surrendering
to the Yorkists in 1468. After this the castle decayed, being used a
debtors prison. Today half a mile of gorse and dunes divide the castle
from the sea. more
information
|
Caernarfon Castle |
7
miles south-west of Bangor, off A487 Built
by Edward I between 1283 and 1327, the most ambitious of Edward's castles,
his administrative centre. Designed by Master James of St George as
a royal residence, at the water's edge, its Eagle Tower at 124 feet
was one of the largest single towers built the Middle Ages. In 1301
the young Prince Edward was invested at the castle as Prince of Wales.
Towards the end of his life Edward faced financial difficulties and
as a result the interior was never completed. In 1969 Prince Charles
was invested as the present Prince of Wales at Caernafon Castle. more
information
|
Dolbadarn Castle |
7
miles east of Caernafon, off A4086 Standing
on a rocky platform in the Llanberis Pass, it was of importance to the
Welsh princes, perhaps dating back to the 6th century. The tower
may have been ordered by Llywelyn the Great. After the death of Llywelyn
and his son, the kingdom of Gwynedd became divided over the succession
until Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales defeated his rivals
in 1255. In 1282 Dolbadarn was captured by the Earl of Pembroke,
and was partially dismantled by Edward's forces, from that time on the
castle decayed rapidly. more
information
|
