Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle was built as a statement of English military power in conquered Wales, and it still reads that way. Edward I built it from 1283 onwards specifically to dominate the town and the Menai Strait – not primarily for military defence in the ordinary sense but as an architectural declaration: this is how England wanted Wales to understand the new order. The polygonal towers with their bands of different-coloured stone were deliberately designed in the visual language of Constantinople’s Theodosian Walls, which Edward had seen or heard described during the Crusades. He wanted the castle to project imperial authority the way Byzantine walls had projected Roman imperial authority for centuries.

The castle is one of the finest surviving examples of late 13th-century military architecture in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (designated in 1986 as part of “The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd”). Entry is managed by Cadw, the Welsh historic environment service. Adult admission runs around £12-15; Cadw members enter free. The 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales happened here – an event with its own complex legacy in Welsh cultural politics.

What to See

The Eagle Tower is the castle’s most distinctive structure – a multi-angular tower at the southwest corner with eagle sculptures at the parapet and the highest vantage point over the Menai Strait. The stairs are narrow and steep; the views from the top justify them.

The walls offer a full circuit walk; the curtain wall and towers on the riverside face give views over the Menai Strait toward the Isle of Anglesey. The town walls of Caernarfon are connected to the castle and substantially intact – walking the circuit of the medieval town walls takes about an hour.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, housed inside the castle, covers the regiment from 1689 to the present. The museum is included in the castle admission and is worth the hour for anyone interested in military history.

Caernarfon Town

The town surrounding the castle is a working Welsh community, not purely a tourist destination. Welsh is the dominant language in most shops and among locals – roughly 80% of the population are Welsh speakers, one of the highest percentages in Wales. The market square has a regular Friday market; the waterfront along the Menai Strait is pleasant for an evening walk.

For food: the Black Boy Inn on Northgate Street has occupied the same site since the 16th century and serves reasonable pub food with a genuine historic atmosphere.

Getting There

Caernarfon is on the A487 coast road in northwest Wales. The nearest railway station is Bangor (12 kilometres), with regular train connections from Chester (1 hour 15 minutes) and Cardiff (3.5 hours). Buses run between Bangor and Caernarfon regularly. For the broader area, a car makes access to the Snowdonia National Park (15 minutes east) and the Lleyn Peninsula straightforward.