Beaumaris Castle

North Wales

13 Jun

Quick Info

Region: Gwynedd
Built: 1295 by Edward 1st
In the Care of: CADW
Parking: Public Parking Nearby
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Admission: Paid entry
Post Code: LL58 8AP

Opening/Closing Times

9.30am - 6pm
Click here for more info

“An incredible castle due to its powerful position in the politics of Wales at such a tumultuous time, its beautiful symmetry and for its location so close to the sea on a dreamy January afternoon.”

— Castle Crawl Cymru

History

Beaumaris Castle is one of 10 castles that make up the Ring of Iron. A chain of fortifications built by Edward the 1st to try to control the Welsh kings of Gwynedd and following the conquest of Wales, to try to quell any threat of uprising.

Despite its important part, and it being the final piece of the Ring of Iron to be built, a dwindling money supply and trouble brewing elsewhere in the country meant that this Castle was never actually finished. Its short height is testament to its premature finish.

Beaumaris was supposed to be beautiful and impressive. Yet another formidable creation of Edward I’s architect, James of St George. It’s symmetry and striking four concentric rings of defences enveloped in a water filled moat with its own dock!

What Can You See?

The town of Beaumaris is cradled inside the town walls of the castle, and the huge structure seems to appear out of nowhere as you walk on the pavement down the busy A545, maybe owing to its shorter stature.

We explored Beaumaris in January 2023, it’s open almost every day of the year and even mid winter it was open. Walking through the automatic doors we entered straight into the gift shop, a similar experience in most larger CADW sites. Paying for entrance at the till, we were then able to walk straight out through more automatic doors onto the flat gravel path that takes you to the around the motte, over its waters and into the mouth of the fortification. The multiple, symmetrical curtain walls meant that we did get lost and confused within each layer, trying to find the middle. An archeological tactic to disorient new visitors, which from experience I can say works very well.

Once inside the belly of the place, there was no end of nooks and crannies to explore. The shorter structure, located so close to the Menai Strait gave the place a quiet, peaceful air - although that could have been down to our choice of adventuring at the end of January.

Accessibility

The visitor centre has automatic doors from the pavement and into the monument, with a short ramp on exit and it also has a low-profile admission desk.

The visitor centre is situated alongside the castle with a flat even walk to the outer ward, over a wide wooden bridge and into the castle grounds.

Click here to find more information.