For such a relatively small country, Wales has an abundance of mighty castles, churches, historic sites and other reminders of long gone eras. If you love to wander round ancient sites, soaking up the atmosphere of the days of glory that linger in their walls, imagining yourself a participant in the rich tapestry of people and events of the past that made Wales what it is today, then you'll love this land at the edge of Wales.
On this web page we've tried to give you just a taste of what's in store, and we've only included places we have been to ourselves. There are, of course, dozens of other historic sites that we haven't mentioned that are well worth a visit. You really have to experience for yourself the majesty and splendour of this land where history, myth and legend combine.
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Caernarfon Castle Segontium Roman Fort Beaumaris Castle Conwy Castle Criccieth Castle Harlech Castle Dolwyddelan Castle Dolbadarn Castle St Beuno's Church and Well Penmon Priory, Dovecot and Well Caernarfon Castle 
The mighty Caernarfon Castle is probably the most well-known and also the most impressive of the myriad castles in this part of Wales. Built in the 13th century by Edward 1, Caernarfon Castle was part of a ring of castles meant to contain the Welsh in their mountain strongholds and prevent further uprisings. With its soaring walls and imperious towers, the Castle is a World Heritage Site and one of the 'must-do' things on the list of any visitor to the area. It offers a fascinating way to spend a few hours. You can climb the steep steps of the octagonal towers to experience the commanding views over the surrounding land. Especially impressive still is the Eagle Tower. You can walk the inner walls, which often give the feeling of being lost in a secret passage. There's an audio-visual programme that tells the story of the building of the castle and its history. The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum contains uniforms, weapons, paintings and personal memorabilia in exhibits that reflect the history of Wales's longest serving infantry regiment and in addition there are usually a couple of changing displays and exhibitions of local interest. Segontium Roman Fort
Beaumaris Castle
Conwy Castle Gritty, dark-stoned Conwy Castle has the rare ability to evoke an authentic medieval atmosphere. It was constructed by Edward 1 between 1283 and 1287 as one of his key north Wales fortresses. Conwy's massive military power springs from the rock on which it stands and from which it seems to grow naturally. Soaring curtain walls and eight huge round towers give the castle - a World Heritage Site - an intimidating presence undimmed by the passage of time. The views from the battlements are breathtaking, looking out across mountains and sea and down to the roofless shell of the castle's massive great hall. Conwy's other great medieval glory is its circuit of town walls. Over three-quarters of a mile long and guarded by no less than 21 towers, it is one of the finest in the world. (Text taken from the CADW brochure: 'Great Castles and Historic Attractions') Criccieth Castle
One of the few remaining castles that began life as a stronghold of the Welsh princes, Criccieth Castle stands on a commanding headland overlooking Tremadog Bay and the pretty town of Criccieth. Llywelyn the Last's father, Gruffudd, was imprisoned at Criccieth Castle by his half-brother Dafydd in 1239 and the castle stayed in unbroken Welsh possession for at least 40 years before falling to Edward 1 sometime in early 1283, after Llywelyn's death. Edward extended and refortified the castle and it withstood a number of Welsh attacks until its destruction by Owain Glyndwr in 1404.
St Julitta's Church, St Mary's Church, Caernarfon and St Mary's Church, Beddgelert
These are three of the 'little jewels' of the area. St Julitta's at Capel Curig, is the smallest church in Snowdonia (although now deconsecrated) and was originally known as Curig's Chapel, named for Curig Lwyd (Curig the Blessed). In Norman times it was rededicated to the child martyr Cyriacus and his mother Julitta.
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Harlech Castle
Dolwyddelan Castle
Dolbadarn Castle
Another of the strongholds built by Llywelyn the Great, Dolbadarn Castle is dominated by a massive round tower, probably the finest surviving example of its kind in Wales. At the time of its building, Llywelyn was busy cementing his power by forging marriage alliances of his daughters with the Marcher families, and the round tower is modelled on English examples in the southern March. The stark, windswept isolation of the ruined tower of Dolbadarn Castle, set against the magnificent backdrop of Snowdonia, made it a favourite subject for 18th and 19th century landscape painters, the most well-known product of which is probably the painting by Turner that he presented to the Royal Academy as his Diploma work on being elected RA in 1802. Visit Dolbadarn under an ever-changing sky, with the Llanberis Pass in the distance and the twin lakes of Padarn and Peris close by, and it's easy to see why it was such a popular subject.
St Beuno's Church and Well, Clynnog Fawr
This, of course, is our very own 'on the doorstep' attraction. St Beuno's is a remarkably beautiful church built in the early 16th century. It stands on the original site of the chapel founded by St Beuno around AD616. Cadwallon, King of Gwynedd, himself gave St Beuno the land on which to found his church and 'clas' - a kind of cross between a church, a monastery and a place of education. St Bueno was a very influential person in the area and his church at Clynnog soon became a gathering point for the 'Pilgrim's Way' to the holy island of Bardsey, an island where 20 000 saints are said to be buried. St Beuno was famous for numerous miracles (particularly of the healing of people whose heads had been cut off kind), and his church and well have always been reputed to perform miraculous cures for the blind and the sick. Whether or not this is true, the church is a beautiful place to visit. One of our American guests even discovered, quite by chance, that his ancestors came from Clynnog when he visited the church and found a picture of his great-great-(and perhaps another great?)-grandfather in one of the exhibitions of local history that the church displays in the summer months.
Penmon Priory, Church, Dovecote and Well Traditionally, Penmon is the site of a monastery established in the sixth century by St Seiriol, a friend and contemporary of St Cybi (of Holyhead fame), and it's very possible that the holy well that still survives had its origins in this period. The well is still linked to St Seiriol and, like many wells that are linked to saints, is renowned for its healing properties. The present church was originally built in the mid-1100s, with additions in the 13th century. The church is now home to the Penmon Cross, an elaborately carved Celtic Cross with a pattern of interlacings common in the tenth century, with Irish and Scandinavian influences. In addition to the church buildings, cross and well, the site is also the home of the Penmon Dovecot, built around 1600 by the Bulkeleys. The Dovecot still has its massive vaulted stone roof, crowned with an open cupola through which the birds could fly in and out. Standing Stones and Burial Sites, Cromlechs and Dolmens If it's truly ancient history you're interested in, you might like to visit some of the standing stones in the area. All have their own legends: like the one on Anglesey that is said to be the petrified form a thief, cursed forever for stealing from the nearby church and left there as a warning against greed; or the remains of the Druids' Circle near Penmaenmawr that are said to be women turned to stone for ignoring the holy man's warning not to gossip on Sundays (one of which is now supposed to avenge blasphemy and bad language by giving offenders a stunning clout!); or Twrog's Stone, the stone that gives the village of Maentwrog its name, which stands in the churchyard where it has rested since the saint hurled it from a mountaintop to smash a pagan shrine (his fingerprints can still be seen on it). We even have our very own cromlech or burial stone here at Clynnog Fawr, near the beach. It has a number of indentations on the capstone, like the bottom of a teaspoon pressed into the stone, that have baffled generations of people as to their purpose and origin. |
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