Picto Diary - 16 September 2019 - Anglesey, Wales Part 2

Above: Bishop at Caernarfon Castle. Caernarfon, Wales. 16 September 2019.

Caernarvon Castle is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.

It was a wooden castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure.

The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.

The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year.

During the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415, the castle was besieged.

When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists, and was besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war.

Caernarfon Castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. In 1911, Caernarfon Castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales, and again in 1969. It is part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd."

Above: Menai Bridge. Anglesey, Wales. 16 September 2019.

Driver Derek calls it a "horse and buggy" bridge. Busses and big trucks have to pull in their mirrors to get through.

The bridge spans the Menai Strait a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about seventeen miles ong, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.

Above. TIMDT and Bronx Girl at Beaumarais Castle. Beaumrais, Anglesey, Wales. 16 September 2019.

Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282.

Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising.

A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Edward's invasion of Scotland soon diverted funding from the project, however, and work stopped, only recommencing after an invasion scare in 1306.
When work finally ceased around 1330 a total of £15,000 had been spent, a huge sum for the period, but the castle remained incomplete.