North-west Wales itinerary
The Castles and Town Walls of Edward I
From 1276 Edward I, King of England, established a mighty set of castles and towns in north Wales as part of his military campaign to defeat the Welsh princes. Amongst the castles built by Edward I are Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech, which collectively hold World Heritage Site status.
The castles represent the best castle 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 gatehouses, the ring of castles has a powerful presence in the landscape of Eryri (Snowdonia) and symbolises the huge effort by Edward I to dominate north Wales and fight against the Welsh resilience.
Each castle has individual stories to tell...
Map Tour
The journey time by car between each site is approximately 45 minutes.
Building the mighty castles of north Wales
These spectacular monuments are a gateway for exploring the history of Wales in the heartland of the traditional Welsh princes’ stronghold.
Be inspired by what you can see and do in north-east Wales…
Discover more Cadw sites across north Wales
Six other Cadw sites are also in the network of castles built or influenced by Edward I’s regime, his predecessors and subjects in north Wales: Flint Castle, Denbigh Castle and Town Walls, Rhuddlan, Criccieth, Dolbadarn and Dolwyddelan castles.
North-east Wales castle locations.
Left to right: Denbigh, Criccieth, Rhuddlan, Dolbadarn and Dolwyddelan castles.
Access Guides
Please read our accessibility guidance for information on how to plan your visit.