Video: Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
A look at the castles of Gwynedd, Wales, built in the late 1200s for King Edward I.
When you imagine a classic medieval European castle, you might be picturing the iconic stone walls of North Wales. Although much of Wales is home to castles and their ruins, four in particular have been recognized as stellar examples of medieval architecture and fortress design. These castles, all located in Gwynedd, Wales, were built for King Edward I in the late 13th century after his conquest of the region. They were also designed by the same architect—the obscure but prolific James of St. George.
Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy, and Harlech consist of four castles and two town walls built in this period. They exemplify strategies of castle warfare like concentric walls and building against natural features like rivers and coastlines. Unfortunately, like many castles, they also proved to be more expensive than necessary, and they soon fell into ruin. Only restoration efforts in the last two hundreds years have returned them to some of their former splendor. The castles and town walls are now a popular tourist draw and a combined UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This video, courtesy of UNESCO, visits the castles of Gwynedd, giving us a quick look at their scale and advanced medieval building techniques.
Further Reading
“Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, whc.unesco.org/en/list/374/.
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