Escorted Rail Tours to Caernarfon Castle
A mighty symbol of medieval power
The ultimate symbol of medieval military might, Caernarfon
Castle was built between 1283 and 1330, replacing an earlier
structure from the 11th century. First and foremost it was designed
to be a military stronghold for Edward I during his Welsh campaign,
but also as a royal palace and a seat of government. The castle was
built with spectacular polygonal towers, linked by a honeycomb of
wall walks and tunnels, that were meant to resemble the famous 5th
century walls of Constantinople. This design is believed to have
helped later defensive campaigns; in 1404, an army of just 28 men
were able to successfully fend off Owain Glyndwr's forces.
Prince of Wales
When tensions eased between the English and the Welsh,
Caernarfon Castle lost some of its military importance. Yet the
impressive castle is a celebrated triumph of medieval architecture,
and today forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shortly after
building work on the castle began, the future Edward II was born
here. To strengthen his position in the country, Edward I made his
son 'Prince of Wales' in 1301 - a title that has been used
continuously ever since for the monarch's eldest son. The current
Prince of Wales was also invested in the castle in 1969.
The tour was a nice sample of all that there is to see. I knew I didn't have the time to really explore everything that could take months to do it the way I would want to. The tour was fun we had a great group of people and our tour manager Peter Scott was terrific. Taking care of every need and really bringing to life the history of each stop.