Caernarfon Castle - on our way to Yorkshire

-
Having spent a few days in Anglesey, we moved on to our next week in Yorkshire. On the way, we stopped at Caernarfon Castle and spent some time exploring.


The site of this great castle wasn’t chosen by accident. It had previously been the location of a Norman motte and bailey castle and before that a Roman fort stood nearby. The lure of water and easy access to the sea made the banks of the River Seiont an ideal spot for Edward’s monster in masonry. 


The River Seiont is the great river that serves as a channel where many can enjoy paddling, a riverbank picnic and other family activities. Generally accessed from the town of Caernarfon, this river referred to locally as Afon Seiont and flows northward towards the Menai Strait 


Edward wasn’t one to miss on an opportunity to tighten his grip even further on the native population. The birth of his son, the first English Prince of Wales, in the castle in 1284, was a perfect device to stamp his supremacy. In 1969 the current Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Charles’s investiture took place here.


Most castles are happy with round towers, not Caernarfon! Polygonal towers were the order of the day, with the Eagle Tower being the most impressive of these. You will also note the colour-coded stones carefully arranged in bands. 


A brute of a fortress. Caernarfon Castle’s pumped-up appearance is unashamedly muscle-bound and intimidating. Picking a fight with this massive structure would have been a daunting prospect. By throwing his weight around in stone, King Edward I created what is surely one of the most impressive of Wales’s castles.


The Aber Suspension, Swing Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge across the River Seiont between the Watergate entrance to Caernarfon Castle and the Aber Foreshore. The current swing bridge was built in 1970.



Location: Castle Ditch, Caernarfon LL55 2AY, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The lost Pubs, Inns and Taverns of Hadleigh

-
Image
Having been photographing some of the many Listed buildings in Hadleigh, I was surprised at the number of inns, taverns, pubs etc which have been in the town over the years. Then I came across a site called `The Lost Pubs of Hadleigh` and was taken by the idea of photographing all that I could find; bearing in mind that some have been demolished and some are noted, but there is no certainty as to where they actually were situated. There are 21 in total that are listed here, but I understand that there are others of more uncertain nature which may have been inns or pubs. However, here is my effort, starting with what to me was a big surprise! - the ex Council Offices. The Anchor - Bridge Street This pub / beer house managed to go through a few names in its time:  Between 1661 & 1835 it was called the Standard** Between 1837 & 1871 it was called the Barley Mow** Between 1871 & 1927 it was called the Anchor** One landlady was named as Elisabeth Scrivener, and is recorded at th
Read more

The hidden history of Little Wenham

-
Image
Little Wenham is a small village in Suffolk, England. It is part of the civil parish of Wenham Parva (the ancient name for Little Wenham) within Babergh district. A village with no public roads but fortunately some rights of way. Its most famous building, Little Wenham Hall, is largely hidden from view. To quote Sir Nikolaus Pevsner from his “The Buildings of England” series, “The house was built c.1270 - 80, probably for Sir John de Vallibus and his successor Petronilla of Nerford. It is of great historical importance for two reasons. The first is that it is built of brick, and represents one of the earliest uses of home-made brick in England. Flint is used only for the base of the walls and stone for the much rebuilt buttresses and dressings. The second point of outstanding interest is that the house is a house and not a keep. It is fortified of course, but it is in its shape and appointment on the way from the fortress to the manor house and so ranks with Stokesay and Acton Bu
Read more

The amazing ceiling of St Mary - Huntingfield

-
Image
Suffolk has a magnificent legacy in its hundreds of churches, which tell the story of medieval times and onward. One of the many such churches was on the itinerary for today.  Having read about the magnificent ceiling decorations in St Marys in Huntingfield, this was our  main aim for today. Not medieval I know, but an amazing Victorian legacy. This post was originally made in 2019 but I have moved it to today after a revisit and some added info and images I have started photographing the village signs that we come across, so this was one to add to the collection.- Huntingfield. The name conjours up all sorts of images of time past. The existing church certainly dates from the 11th century but there are signs that there had been a chapel here long before. The first church was built by the family who took their name from the village and lived in the manor for 250 years, the Lords de Huntingfield. The chancel was added in the thirteenth century and the brick section (above) on
Read more