Beaumaris Castle, Beaumaris, United Kingdom

Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising. A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Edward's invasion of Scotland soon diverted funding from the project, however, and work stopped, only recommencing after an invasion scare in 1306. When work finally ceased around 1330 a total of £15,000 had been spent, a huge sum for the period, but the castle remained incomplete.

Beaumaris Castle was taken by Welsh forces in 1403 during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr, but recaptured by royal forces in 1405.

In March 1592, the Welsh Roman Catholic priest and martyr William Davies was imprisoned in the castle, and was eventually hanged, drawn and quartered there on 27 July 1593.

Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies. Despite forming part of a local royalist rebellion in 1648, the castle escaped slighting and was garrisoned by Parliament, but fell into ruin around 1660, eventually forming part of a stately home and park in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the ruined castle is still a tourist attraction.

The fortification is built of local stone, with a moated outer ward guarded by twelve towers and two gatehouses, overlooked by an inner ward with two large, D-shaped gatehouses and six massive towers. The inner ward was designed to contain ranges of domestic buildings and accommodation able to support two major households. The south gate could be reached by ship, allowing the castle to be directly supplied by sea. UNESCO considers Beaumaris to be one of 'the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe', and it is classed as a World Heritage Site.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

M (14 months ago)
From the main carpark we couldn't find any signs of how to get to the entrance. We walked around the playground then had to cross the road at the crossing (no path on the side of the entrance) then we saw a sign pointing to the entrance, we then had to cross the road again (no crossing) it was okay for a castle, the leaflet you get is very basic. There are better castles.

Ben Huson (2 years ago)
If I'm being cynical, it's just another castle, but it is a lovely one!! We paid £28 for a a family of 4, which is decent compared to other castles. It's well laid out with information dotted around the site! Some nice grass areas dottes about that could be used for picnics.

old greggg (2 years ago)
A lovely Cadw castle surrounded by a deep moat right next to the village. Beautiful views from the castle, would 100% recommend going. Friendly staff and a lovely entrance with a shop. Right next to the village and a car park nearby. You can walk a lot of the castle walls and towers, bit muddy in places but easy to manoeuvre. Loved our visit and would visit again!

John Greener (2 years ago)
Enjoyable morning at Beaumaris Castle. It's easy to park and gain entry. Staff were friendly in the ticket office. The castle itself is really accessible in terms of where you can explore within the grounds. The only downside was that there wasn't as much information available on boards around the castle compared to other comparable sites. Well worth a visit though to see a unique castle experience.

David Imrie (2 years ago)
The greatest castle that they never built. Really nice site that clearly was designed really well. A bit of a maze but worth exploring. My young son really loved all the passages. Awesome views from the top and loads of little nooks to explore. You can clearly see what used to be there, and what wasn't finished. Very reasonable entrance cost and, although we were late in the day, still plenty to look at.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.

Beaumaris Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle