Europe · United Kingdom · Gwynedd
Castell Harlech
The story
History of Castell Harlech
Harlech Castle (Welsh: Castell Harlech; Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ ˈharlɛχ]) in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a Grade I listed medieval fortification built onto a rocky knoll close to the Irish Sea.
United Kingdom · Gwynedd
- Built
- 15th century
- Era
- Medieval
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Gwynedd
- UNESCO
- —
- Coordinates
- 52.860, -4.109
In depth
The fuller history
UNESCO considers Harlech, with three others at Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon, 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. The fortification is built of local stone and concentric in design, featuring a massive gatehouse that probably once provided high-status accommodation for the castle constable and visiting dignitaries.
Key dates
- 1282Edward ordered the construction of a castle at Harlech, one of seven built across North Wales in the wake of the 1282 campaign.
- 1289The castle was essentially complete by the end of 1289, having cost an estimated £8,190, around 10 percent of the £80,000 that Edward spent on castle-building in Wales between 1277 and 1304.
- 1323Further work was undertaken between 1323 and 1324, following the Despenser War; Edward II was threatened in the region by the Mortimer Marcher Lord family, and ordered his sheriff, Sir Gruffudd Llwyd, to extend the…
- 1408In 1408 English forces under the command of the future Henry V placed Harlech and its commander, Edmund Mortimer, under siege, conducting a bombardment with cannon, probably destroying the south and east parts of the…
- 1468During the 15th-century Wars of the Roses, Harlech was held by the Lancastrians for seven years, before Yorkist troops forced its surrender in 1468, a siege memorialised in the song "Men of Harlech".
- 1914In 1914 it was transferred from the Merioneth Crown Estate to the control of the Office of Works, who commenced a major restoration project after the end of World War I.
Historical summary drawn from Wikipedia. Read the full article.
Tips & experiences
Been here? Leave a note for the next visitor.
Loading tips…