Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle
Castell Caernarfon
Caernarfon, Gwynedd in Wales
The castle from across the River Seiont
Caernarfon Castle
Coordinates	53°08′21″N 4°16′37″W / 53.1393°N 4.2769°W / 53.1393; -4.2769
Type	Castle
Site information
Open to the public	Yes
Website	Caernarfon Castle
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
Criteria	Cultural: i, iii, iv
Reference	374
Inscription	1986 (10th Session)
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Caernarfon Castle[1]
Designated	31 March 1983; 41 years ago (1983-03-31)[1]
Reference no.	3814[1]

Caernarfon Castle (Welsh: Castell Caernarfon; Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ kaɨrˈnarvɔn]) is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current stone structure in 1283. The castle and town established by Edward acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past—nearby is the Roman fort of Segontium—and the castle's walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople.^[2]

While the castle was under construction, town walls were built around Caernarfon. The work cost between £20,000 and £25,000 from the start until the work ended in 1330. Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many parts of the structure were never finished. In 1294 the town and castle were sacked and captured by Madog ap Llywelyn during his rebellion against the English, but were recaptured the following year. The castle was unsuccessfully besieged during the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415. When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists and besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war. The castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. The castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and again in 1969. The castle is managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service. It is part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd".^[3]