Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle

During the May half-term holiday, we went to Harlech Castle. We had previously visited Caernarfon, Conwy, and Beaumaris when we arrived at this Edwardian castle. It meant that we had very little anticipation of how CADW would show the castle to its guests by this point. For the first time, we even let the kids stay at the tourist centre's coffee shop and enjoy a hot chocolate while we went in. We boarded a trip to Luton Airport and then hired a cab from company after arriving. The cab arrived in less than a minute. The driver given us by company was also quite well-behaved and courteous. He took care of us throughout our journey.

The visitor centre at the castle's gate appeared to be very new, and I assumed that meant it would showcase some of the castle's fascinating history. There was a video in the centre about history.Harlech Castle is a World Heritage Site and part of Edward I's Iron Ring of Castles, which he erected following the defeat of the Welsh in 1282. It is also tied to Welsh myth, in the narrative of Branwen, the tragic heroine of the Mabinogion, the daughter of Llyr, who marries the King of Ireland but whose marriage is finally shattered.

"'Harlech Men.'" The unofficial hymn of the country, beloved by rugby fans and regimental bands alike, is claimed to represent the siege that took place here during the War of the Roses, during which a few troops held out against a besieging army of thousands. An army of roughly a thousand trained artisans and labourers erected Edward's proven and tested 'walls inside walls' concept in record time between 1283 and 1295.Only the best masons from Savoy and the greatest carpenters and blacksmiths from England were used by Edward. This was one of Edward's cheapest fortresses at the time. At £8,190, it's a steal.

The edifice was designed by Master of the King's Works, James of St George, and has two rings of walls and towers, as well as an enormously powerful east gatehouse. It was impenetrable from nearly every viewpoint. Its hidden weapon was a 200-foot-long (61-metre) staircase that still connects the castle to the cliff base. The stairs to the sea and vital supplies kept the besieged people of the castle nourished and watered. A waterway would have connected the castle with the sea when it was initially built. You might have sailed up to the moat in a boat. The sea has receded seven hundred years later. The nicest thing I can say about Harlech is that there is a little display of the castle's history, but that's it. This is particularly unfortunate because the history of this castle is more extensive than that of the other castles in the vicinity, and greater effort might have been expended to demonstrate this. Then there was time to tour the castle itself, which has some magnificent views of the sea that I thought were better than the rest of the castles. Harlech's position is especially important in this situation, since it is the most southerly of the Edwardian castles, making it the perfect castle to see if you are touring the middle or southern areas of Snowdonia National Park.