North Wales Part 1: Castles

The north west of Wales is chock full of wonderful medieval castles built by Edward I to suppress the Welsh and control Snowdonia. They are amazing examples of the high point of castle building. We were lucky on our holiday to visit and see a few of them.

Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle is one of the most well known of Edward's castles as it is associated with Princes of Wales. The castle is maintained by CADW and so free to English Heritage members.

The castle has 13 towers to explore with plenty of spiral staircases to exercise the legs:

Passages to explore:

And battlements to discover:

There is also the museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers with plenty of fascinating facts and memorabilia:

All in all a brilliant castle for all 3 generations to enjoy, we will be back!

Criccieth Castle

We didn't get a chance to get into this castle but we passed it several times and had one chance to stop and get some photos:

Definitely on my hit list for a return visit!

Beaumaris Castle

Built on Anglesey to guard the northern end of the Menai Strait and the grain crops on the island this is a double ringed castle:

The castle was never completed to its full height as money ran out but the outer battlements were still high enough for defensive purposes:

The castle must have been very impressive when completed with its Inner Ward on a scale like this:

Another great trip for all the family.