We are off to day for the Conwy Castle, built in the 13th Century by King Edward I as part of his fortifications of the west coast, and to keep those nasty Welsh under control. Amazing place, most of the stone work intact, and you can easily see notches for floor trusses throughout. If you have read David Macaulay’s Castle, you would swear this is his model. The book is about how to build a castle. Ed and I did all the up and down towers. Doubt that we will ever again see such a grand piece of history.
This from Wikipedia…”Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defences cost around £15,000, a huge sum for the period. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars. It withstood the siege of Madog ap Llywelyn in the winter of 1294–95, acted as a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was held for several months by forces loyal to Owain Glyndŵr in 1401.
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. In the aftermath the castle was partially slighted by Parliament to prevent it being used in any further revolt, and was finally completely ruined in 1665 when its remaining iron and lead was stripped and sold off. Conwy Castle became an attractive destination for painters in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Visitor numbers grew and initial restoration work was carried out in the second half of the 19th century. In the 21st century the ruined castle is managed by Cadw as a tourist attraction.”
From the castle, we went up into the High Street to Plas Mawr, intact home built in the 1580’s by Robert Gwinn, a crony of royalty who amassed wealth in the form of farms, the wool trade, and payments from his royal lords, and he married well – twice. It’s a wonderful insight into how the upper middle class lived circa Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Not bad.
Lunched at a pub, Norah and Ed having fish and chips and I a vegetable tagine and my first ½ pint of bitter. It was bitter, but good – not hoppy. After Plas Mawr, we were exhausted, had a nap, then dinner and to bed.
Castle interior
Ed on a tower wall overlooking the harbor
Model of the castle to give you an idea of the layout and scope
Pub lunch
Exterior Plas Mawr - looking head-on at the gate house. The house runs up the street. Note the Flemish influence on the architecture. Gwinn was impressed by them in his travels.
Great hall in Plas Mawr
End of a long day.