Conwy Castle

North Wales

8 Oct

Quick Info

Region: Gwynedd
Built: 1287 by James of St George, Edward I’s mason & engineer
In the Care of: Cadw
Parking: No
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes*
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Admission: Paid entry
Post Code: LL32 8AY

Opening/Closing Times

9.30am - 5pm*
More information

“There is a lot to see of Conwy castle, the ancient castle walls span around the entire town. You can walk from one side to the other (I did).”

— Castle Crawl Cymru

History

Complete in 1287, Conwy Castle and town walls were the 8th castle that made up the Ring of Iron. Built by Edward the I’s mason & engineer, James of St George.

A vast amount of money was spent on building the castle, extensive records were kept of its building and by November 1284, only a short time after construction had started (and don’t forget that it didn’t finish until 1287), £5,800 had been spent - That’s the equivalent to £15-18 million today!

King Edward I is only known to have been to the castle once in 1295 where he met with the Arch Bishop of Canterbury. He was in the castle on a campaign to quash the rebellion of Madog ap Llewelyn when he found himself cut off from his forces by floods. Edward was forced to spend Christmas at the castle unsure of the outcome. Today you can see where he lived during that time, as Conwy Castle boasts the most intact medieval royal apartments in Wales.

What You Can See?

There is a lot to see of Conwy castle, the ancient castle walls span around the entire town. You can walk from one side to the other (I did). It’s peaceful being up that high above the hustle and bustle of the seaside town, you will share the view with the pigeons, but they’re quite good company. It is lovely to see the popular architectural structure of town walls, so popular with many castles, being so well maintained.

The royal apartments in this castle are the most well preserved in Wales! Don’t be expecting lavish tapestries or furniture, but you can walk around the King’s tower, the King’s Great Chamber, where he would receive guests. His own prayer room above the chapel, the King’s & Queen’s two personal bed chambers, and the King’s kitchens.

Accessibility

There is a council carpark immediately outside the castle which has disabled parking spaces and is flat. Conwy Castle’s visitor centre is spacious and features low admissions desks and automatic doors. Please note that there is a steep walk from the visitor centre to the castle grounds. The castle can be enjoyed at ground level, however much of the site is accessed via steep, narrow staircases, some of which are uneven, including the wall walks and some internal rooms including the chapel. For more information please see CADW’s Accessibility Guide.