Situated in the north of Wales with the mountains of Snowdonia in the distance, Conwy Castle stands tall as a World Heritage Site. Built for King Edward I, construction of the castle started in 1283 and was finished in 1287 - an impressive four years later! This medieval fortress is one of the finest examples of late 13th and early 14th century military architecture in Europe according to UNESCO. The castle and town walls as defences cost around £15,000.
Given its long history (over 700 years!) it comes as no surprise that Conwy Castle has seen its fair share of wars. What is perhaps most interesting though, is that Edward I only stayed at this incredible fortress once. In 1294, Edward I was trapped over Christmas by a Welsh rebellion led by Madog ap Llywelyn against English rule. Seven years later, in 1301, the future Edward II stayed at the castle for a few months after coming to the receive homage as the Prince of Wales. The only other time the royal apartments were used for their intended purpose was in 1399 by Richard II as a refugee while conducting negotiations with his captors before his eventual surrender.
Despite the incredible state of the castle and town walls today, multiple times over the centuries neglect led to disrepair. By 1321, the castle had been poorly maintained, suffering from rotten timbers and leaking roofs. It was not until 1343, when Edward the Black Prince took over control of the castle that repairs were undertaken. But, the castle fell into disrepair yet again when Edward died. Very little was done during the 15th century aside from some reinforcements during the War of the Roses, 1455-1485. However, in the 1520s and 1530s, Henry VIII conducted restoration work as the castle was being used as a prison, a depot and potentially as a residence for visitors. By the early 17th century, the castle was yet again in a state of disrepair. This century saw perhaps the saddest part of the castles history as it was sold by Charles I to Edward Conway for just £100 in 1627. After the years of the English Civil War, and the numerous transfers of ownership as a result, in 1665, Edward Conway stripped the remaining iron and lead from the castle leaving it a total ruin. By the end of the 18th century, the ruined state of the castle was seen as picturesque, attracting visitors and artists as part of the romantic tradition. The 19th century then saw essential restoration work undertaken after the castle was passed from the Holland family in 1865, who had leased it from the descendants of the Conway's, to the civic leadership of Conwy town. The Ministry of Works leased the castle in 1953, and various repairs were undertaken. The castle is now managed by Cadw who are responsible for ongoing maintenance and repairs.
One interesting aspect of Conwy Castle is the fact that that traces of lime render on the walls demonstrate that the castle was originally white! Incredibly, not even the Tower of London comes close to the completeness of the medieval monarchy's set of inhabited residential rooms at Conwy. The castle holds the most complete set in the whole of England and Wales.
Visitors today can climb the spiral staircases, trace the servants passages between rooms, explore the various chambers and the chapel. Most of the town wall walk is also open to the public adding to the experience and sense of the medieval character of these constructions.
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