Land of Castles

Wales is home to many incredible castles, claiming the densest castle concentration of anywhere in Europe. This is due to the fierce resistance the Welsh presented to the Anglo-Saxon invaders. Most of the finest castles were constructed by Edward I in the mid 13th century with the aid an architect from Savoy, France.

We visited Conwy Castle guarding the mouth of the estuary where the River Conwy discharges into the Irish Sea. The village supporting the castle was also surrounded by a high stone wall and towers, presenting a formidable obstacle to would-be attackers.

The castle itself was constructed on a rocky outcropping next to the river, adding another level of protection to the thick walls.

Ships could land directly at a special gate on the river to provision the castle.

The castle was basically abandoned not too long after its construction. Apparently, the construction of these massive castles was an effective policy and the Welsh did not present a significant military threat after the 14th century. The castles were left to deteriorate, and in the inclement weather the wooden bits eventually rotted.

This sketch shows the castle from an arial perspective:

We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in Llanberis, a charming village in the mountains. We walked out the back garden of the B&B along this trail to another castle.

Dolbadarn castle was built by the Welsh in the early 13th century and it saw quite a bit of use during the next hundred years. It’s not nearly as large or as finely constructed as the other castles we saw, but it seemed quite functional. There was originally another wall and several other buildings around it.

Across the lake from Dolbadarn castle is Dimorwig, the electric mountain. Once a slate quarry and the backbone of the local economy for many years, the mountain was turned into an enormous power generating station. Water is pumped up at night when electricity is cheap and stored until peak demand requires a quick response to add more power to the grid. They can began generating electricity in just seconds, rather than the hours it takes to bring a conventional power station online. The mountain looks pretty devastated from the slate industry. I’m curious to see how long it takes for soil to develop and new plants to grow on the slopes.

Caernarfon Castle is just down the river from Llanberis. Another of Edward I’s masterpieces, Caernarfon was inspired by the Roman fortifications that once existed in the area. Apparently, the Welsh retained quite a bit of respect for the Romans, who occupied the area for a couple of hundred years, and Edward I hoped to capitalize on this esteem. The striped walls of this stylish castle were inspired by the great castle in Byzantium.

This is the front gate, complete with multiple portculli (the plural of portcullis?) and murder holes. There are innovative arrow slits that allow three archers to fire in three different directions from one exterior slit.

This is the Eagle Tower where Edward I’s son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born, according to legend. Apparently, he was actually born in a house outside the castle because the castle hadn’t been completed yet, but the house got burned down by the invading Welsh and it was more romantic to have him born in the tower anyway.

Politicians in the 20th century decided it would be nice to invest the new Prince of Wales in Caernarfon. There have since been two investitures here, which looked to have been quite elaborate productions in the photographs we saw.

Here’s one of our own princesses:

If you are interested in seeing more great photos of Welsh castles and learning more of their fascinating history, this site is a great resource. I really enjoyed seeing the castles, climbing their spiral staircases to ascend the towers, and walking the ramparts. Not only are they are beautifully constructed, but they inspire my imagination about life in another age.