Conwy town walls

Conwy town walls
Conwy, Wales
The south side of the walls, looking towards Mill Gate
Conwy town walls
Coordinates	53°16′49″N 3°50′20″W / 53.2803°N 3.8388°W / 53.2803; -3.8388
Grid reference	grid reference SH775775
Type	Town wall
Site information
Owner	Cadw
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Intact
Site history
Materials	Sandstone, limestone and rhyolite
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
Designated	1950

Conwy's town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the town of Conwy in Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1287 after the foundation of Conwy by Edward I, and were designed to form an integrated system of defence alongside Conwy Castle. The walls are 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long and include 21 towers and three gatehouses. The project was completed using large quantities of labourers brought in from England; the cost of building the castle and walls together came to around £15,000, a huge sum for the period. The walls were slightly damaged during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr in 1401, but political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town. The fortifications were treated sympathetically during the development of the road and railway systems in Conwy during the 19th century and survived largely intact into the modern period. Today the walls form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site administered by Cadw. Historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham describe the defences as "one of the most impressive walled circuits" in Europe.^[1]