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
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1
Conwy Castle
Magnificent medieval fortress still towers over town after 700 years
Thanks to restored spiral staircases in its great towers you can walk a complete circuit around the battlements of Conwy Castle. We highly recommend it. This is one of the most magnificent medieval fortresses in Europe.
2
Beaumaris Castle
Fortress of near-perfect symmetry is an unfinished masterpiece...
Beaumaris on the island of Anglesey is famous as the greatest castle never built. It was the last of the royal strongholds created by Edward I in Wales – and perhaps his masterpiece.
3
Caernarfon Castle
Royal fortress-palace built on legends and bitter medieval conflict
Caernarfon Castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.
This fortress-palace on the banks of the River Seiont is grouped with Edward I’s other castles at Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech as a World Heritage Site. But for sheer scale and architectural drama Caernarfon stands alone.
4
Harlech Castle
None of Edward I’s mighty coastal fortresses has a more spectacular setting
Harlech Castle crowns a sheer rocky crag overlooking the dunes far below – waiting in vain for the tide to turn and the distant sea to lap at its feet once again.
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.
Visit Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle on Anglesey, is described as the most technically perfect castle in Britain, and the last hurrah of Edward I’s massive building project in north Wales.
It was the thirteenth-century hi-tech equivalent of a spaceship landing unceremoniously on Anglesey today.
However Edward I’s huge building effort ended up proving too costly and Beaumaris Castle was never finished, although the new town continued to thrive.
Visit Caernarfon Castle
After all these years Caernarfon’s immense strength remains undimmed.
A brute of a fortress, Caernarfon Castle’s pumped- up appearance is unashamedly muscle-bound and intimidating.
King Edward I created what is without a doubt one of the most impressive castles in Wales and beyond, and the castle and town walls provided means to keep some communities in and others out.
Visit Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle was built by Master James of St George and is amongst the finest surviving medieval fortifications in Britain. It’s hard to believe that it was built at breakneck speed in four short building seasons between 1283 and 1287.
It’s hard to believe that it was built at breakneck speed in four short building seasons between 1283 and 1287.
Climb the towers and turrets and find out how the Welsh captured the castle in the fifteenth-century from the English rule.
To get the full picture, head for the battlements, where there are breathtaking views across mountains and sea.
Visit Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle’s battlements spring out of a near-vertical cliff-face. Edward’s tried and tested ‘walls within walls’ model was put together in super-fast time between 1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a thousand skilled craftsman and labourers.
Edward’s tried and tested ‘walls within walls’ model was put together in super-fast time between 1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a thousand skilled craftsman and labourers.
‘Men of Harlech’, Wales’ unofficial anthem loved by rugby fans and regimental bands alike, is said to describe the longest siege in British history (1461–1468) which took place here during the War of the Roses.
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.
