Castle – Page 4 – My Days Out Blog

Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd

CADW.
Caernarfon castle was built for Edward I by his gifted castle designer, Master James of St George, starting in 1283. The walls of the castle and the connected new English town were substantially complete by 1285. It was built to include a royal residence. The Welsh over-ran town and castle in 1294, the lack of wall between town and castle proving a fatal omission. The English re-took it, and by 1330 work to complete the castle had ceased. It last saw action in the Civil War, and repairs were carried out in the 19th century.

The castle is huge, and towers to an impressive height over the town and harbour, still looking fairly complete. Like Beaumaris, it has walls honeycombed with passages which can be explored. At the site of the kitchens, the remains of ovens and piped water supplies can be seen. Some towers have been re-roofed and contain exhibitions. I climbed to top of one of the several watch-towers for a vertiginous view of the surroundings. Inside one of the thick walls, a chapel can be seen.
This is one of the finest of the Welsh castles. Well worth a visit if you are interested in castles.

What next? There are sections of the Caernarfon town wall nearby, also the Welsh Highland railway terminus, and the Roman fort of Seguntum is on the outskirts.

Beams inside castle tower — Floor beam detail

Conwy Castle, Conwy

CADW.
Conwy was designed by Edward I’s master builder James of St George, and is one of the most impressive of all the Welsh castles. The eight towers and curtain wall surround an inner and outer ward, and there is a barbican at each end. Conwy was beseiged in 1295 and 1403, and last saw action in the Civil War.

Conwy castle is huge and hard to miss – the attached town wall and gateway makes it seem even bigger from a distance as one approaches from the direction of Chester. The castle itself is remarkably complete, with 8 full-height towers, spiral stairs, and walkways around the walls. There are many rooms and passages to explore. It’s hard not to be excited by it all. Even its towers have smaller watch towers which you can climb, if you are not petrified by heights. There are great views over the town and estuary, and the two historic bridges (turnpike and rail).

Close up, the castle can be annoyingly difficult to reach by car, owing to vague signage. In fact, there is a small parking area inside the town walls, near the castle ticket office, and a large parking area outside the walls and below the castle. The brown signs lead to the latter, or rather the trail peters out just before the anonymous car park appears on your right. The huge castle, meanwhile, looms above, completely hidden by the car roof.

What next? On no account miss exploring the town walls, which still encircle the old town. Much of the town wall still stands and there is a walkway along the top of several sections. Telford’s old suspension bridge is in the care of the National Trust.

View of town from walls — View from castle

View of boat moorings from walls — View from castle

Gwrych Castle, Conwy

Gwrych Castle was built between 1812 and 1822 for Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh. Various architects and designers were involved. The Craches had a hand in furnishing the interiors. Between 1909 and 1914, Arts and Crafts architect, Detmar Blow, in conjunction with Charles Ernest Elcock, added the famous yet theatrical Italian marble staircase and renovated the state apartments.
During WWII, Gwrych was requisitioned by the Government and housed two hundred Jewish refugees. Leslie Salts then bought the building in 1948 and successfully opened Gwrych to the public for twenty years. The Castle was nicknamed ‘The Showplace of Wales’ and attracted nearly ten million visitors.

Between 1968 and 1989 the Castle had many owners and many different uses. Gwrych finally closed to the public during the winter of 1985, never to reopen. Up until 2005, the weather, heartless vandals and New-age travelers had looted and ravaged the building to the point of near dereliction. Recent photos make it clear that large parts are no more than roofless shells. Since then, there have been efforts to consolidate the building and the current owners hope to convert it into a luxury hotel.

While travelling to Conwy to see the castle there, I saw from my car a huge unknown castle on a hillside – which I eventually identified as Gwrych, near Abergele. My schedule did not permit me to investigate further on the return leg of my trip, but you can find out more here: http://www.gwrychtrust.co.uk/index.html The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust would welcome your support. This is a sad example of what can happen to a historic listed building when its owners run out of cash. For obvious reasons you cannot visit the castle, but the Gwrych preservation trust claim there are public rights of way through the estate (disputed in comment). Anyway, Google Streetview indicates that the A547 runs within yards of the castle outer wall and gates. (pic Wikimedia, CC-SA, Dot Potter)

Beaumaris castle, Anglesey

CADW.
Beaumaris is one of the great castles of North Wales built by the English monarch Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh. In the 13th century, its concentric walls within walls design was the state of the art in military technology. It is said to be the most technically perfect of all Welsh castles. It was the last of the great castles to be undertaken by the King’s designer Master St George, and remains in a relatively good state of preservation.

Beaumaris Castle is situated near the coast, and at sea level. It looks unexpectedly squat, partly because of its low siting, but mainly because the towers were never completed to the originally planned height (the King ran out of money). It is surrounded by a moat, an outer defensive wall, and an outer bailey, before one reaches the main walls and towers. Inside, the inner bailey looks big enough for a football pitch. The inner walls are honeycombed with defensive passages, and the inner and outer walls have walkways on top, some still accessible. You can spend a couple of hours exploring it all.
Well worth a visit if you like castles. Pay car parking is available nearby.

Also in Beaumaris town, the old gaol is worth a visit, as is the old courthouse. Together they vividly recall the harshness of Victorian justice. In the jail, inmates were properly fed and given medical attention as required, (which was much better than most of them got outside) but to prevent them liking jail too much, the regime was very harsh. Sentencing was also very harsh, especially for property crimes.

Castle Rising, Norfolk

English Heritage.
This is one of the most important twelfth-century castles to survive in England. A great square keep is surrounded by an oval earthwork, pierced by a gatehouse. A ruined church is half-buried in the surrounding earthwork. The external stonework is quite ornate, suggesting that the castle was built to impress more than to be defended against siege.
Parts of the castle are still roofed and can be visited, and other sections can be accessed by passages built into the thick walls. The Great Hall and Great Chamber have lost their roofs and floors.
An interesting and relatively complete castle, worth the effort of visiting it. Audio guide available.
If you have come a long way and want something else to do, the interesting riverside town of King’s Lynn is nearby.

Old buildings in street, King's Lynn — King's Lynn street

Fotheringay Castle, Northants.

This castle, with its Mary Queen of Scots asociations, is probably the most romantic castle site in England,and a magnet for visitors. Too bad that it doesn’t exist any more; you can visit the castle mound, but all that visibly remains of the great castle is a tumbled chunk of masonry at the foot of the mound that might have come from its walls.
As a consolation prize, the village has many attractive buildings in honey coloured stone, and the great 15th Century Collegiate Church should be worth a visit. (I didn’t see it when I visited the “castle” as I knew nothing about it.)

Dover Castle, Kent

English Heritage.
There are diverse things to see on this site: the great medieval castle built by Henry II, the recent re-creation of a medieval castle interior, the church, the Roman lighthouse tower, the Medieval tunnels under the castle, the Napoleonic tunnels in the cliff, and the associated WWII tunnels housing an underground hospital etc, not to mention the cliff-top Admiralty Look-out.
The castle, for once, is a building rather than a ruin, and the recreation of the medieval interior furnishings is interesting. The bright primary colours somehow remind me of a child’s poster paint box. The audio-visual projections using actors are also great fun. The Roman lighthouse tower beside the church looks weather-worn, but it’s amazing that it’s still standing. There is plenty of interest in the cliff-side tunnels which are full of WWII exhibits. There are also great views of the Channel and Dover Harbour.
The Castle could be an all-day visit, but there are some other military relics in the area, such as the Western Heights.

Brougham Castle, Cumbria

English Heritage.
Brougham Castle , built of reddish stone in a picturesque setting beside the crossing of the River Eamont in Cumbria, was founded in the early 13th century. This great keep largely survives, amid many later buildings – including the unusual double gatehouse and impressive ‘Tower of League’. The castle was both a formidable barrier against Scots invaders and a prestigious residence, and welcomed Edward I in 1300.
Much of the structures survive, with the dressed stone cladding largely intact. A complex of passages and spiral stairways makes Brougham a fascinating castle to explore, as well as an ideal picnic setting for a family day out. The keep top provides panoramic views over the Eden Valley. The relatively complete state of the structures, and the attractive green settng, make this a worthwhile and pleasant place to visit. There is an exhibition about Lady Ann Clifford.
Opened daily. Admission charge. The castle shares a guidebook with Brough Castle, a few miles away. Access is from Moor Lane.

Brough Castle, Cumbria

English Heritage.
Brough Castle stands on a ridge commanding strategic Stainmore Pass, on the site of a Roman fort. Its towering keep, frequently the target of Scots raids, dates from about 1200. More comfortable living quarters were later added by the Clifford family, only to be accidentally burnt following a ‘great Christmas party’ in 1521. Like so many other castles hereabouts, Brough was restored in the 17th century by the Lady Anne Clifford, traces of whose additions can still be seen.
St Michael’s Parish Church, in pretty Church Brough near the castle, displays an exhibition about the region.
The castle is much ruined, though the keep stands to some height. Inside the curtain walls there are various structures to look at.
Opened daily, no admission charge. The castle shares a guidebook with Broughton Castle, a few miles away.

Totnes Castle, Devon

English Heritage.
This was a classic Norman motte and bailey castle, founded soon after the Conquest to overawe the Saxon town. A later stone shell-keep crowns its steep mound, and gives sweeping views across the town rooftops to the River Dart. The shell-keep wall is in a fair state of preservation, as can be seen in stock photos.
Apart from the view, there’s not a large amount of things to look at, but the circular shell keep itself looks rather iconic. You’d think that a castle on a high mound would be easy to spot, but if I remember correctly I had a lot of difficulty finding it, because the crowded old buildings block any view of it from street level. If you don’t have any luck with brown signs, find a good street map and track it down with that. The old centre of Totnes is not car-friendly so if you arrive by car it would be best to park it in a car park on the edge of the town centre and continue on foot. When I was last there, it was possible to drive up the length of the old high street and under the building that spans the street, but I really wouldn’t recommend it! Also, the exit from the top of the high street onto the ring road is hazardous, because of poor visibility and high-speed idiots.
Other EH castles are in the same area of South Devon.