Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle (aka Conway Castle), located in North Wales, was built by Edward I of England (r. 1272-1307 CE) from 1283 to 1292 CE to protect and maintain, along with several other castles, his newly acquired dominance in the region. Built on a rock promontory, the castle incorporated the latest defensive design features such as massive round towers, a double courtyard or bailey, and outer barbican defensive walls and towers. Conwy Castle is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Edward I's Castle Building

From 1272 CE Edward I, the new king of England, conquered most of Wales and joined it with the county system present in England. Following the death of Llywelyn, the Prince of Wales, in 1282 CE, the only part of Wales which remained free was the wild mountainous north and here the king built several major castles which included Caernarfon Castle, Harlech Castle, and Conwy Castle. Work began on Conwy Castle in March 1283 CE and would continue over that decade, the vast team of labourers, masons, and craftsmen being supervised by Master James of Saint Georges (c. 1235-1308 CE), the experienced architect and engineer who had previously built castles in Europe and who would be involved in many of Edward's other Welsh castles.

King Edward selected as a suitable site for the castle a high rock perched above the estuary of the River Conwy on the east side and the Gyffin stream on the south side. Easily defended, the castle could then be supplied by the river in times of siege. However, as with his other castles, Conwy's position had a significance beyond mere defensive features as it was also the site of the Cistercian Aberconwy Abbey of Saint Mary, founded there a century before. The abbey was also the burial place of Llywelyn ap Iorworth, the prince who ruled North Wales and who is often called Llywelyn the Great (r. 1195-1240 CE). The Cistercian monks were obliged to move elsewhere (although Edward did pay for the move) and, once again, the English king appropriated a culturally significant site for his own message: a new order had begun.

Local limestone and grey sandstone were used (except for finely carved decorative elements), most of which came from a quarry right next to the town, greatly saving on costs as the transport of heavy materials was by far the most expensive part of building a medieval castle. Still, other materials such as lead, steel, iron, tin, and glass came from across the kingdom so that, altogether, the castle cost some 15,000 pounds (over $30 million today) to finish. It was money well spent, though, because Edward needed the castle for his own personal safety in the winter of 1294-5 CE. The Welsh uprising led by Madog ap Llywelyn resulted in an army besieging Conwy, and the castle could not be reinforced until the spring because of heavy floods. Edward was even obliged to share out his personal wine stock as the siege bit hardest in early 1295 CE. This was to be the only time Edward ever stayed at Conwy; perhaps he had bad memories of the siege and had no wish to ever return. In 1301 CE Edward had his son, the future Edward II of England (r. 1307-1327 CE) declared the Prince of Wales, and he received homage from his subjects in a ceremony at Conwy Castle. The castle then went through a period of neglect but was repaired in the second half of the 14th century CE.

The castle was famously used as a refuge of last resort by another king, indeed, the next royal person to stay there. This time it was Richard II of England (r. 1377-1399 CE) who, during his fight for the English throne with his cousin Henry Bolingbroke (future King Henry IV of England, r. 1399-1413 CE), used Conwy as his base. Richard was tempted to come out of the castle on 20 August 1399 CE by a traitorous adviser, and the king was promptly imprisoned in the Tower of London and then forced to abdicate by Parliament. The castle would see action again, this time in 1401 CE when it was captured during the Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyn Dwr (c. 1359 - c. 1415 CE).