After conquering Gwynedd in 1282 Edward I built a chain of castles around the north Welsh coast to hold it, and it worked: the ring was never broken. Most were designed by James of St George, the Savoyard master mason, and four of them — Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris — are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beaumaris, begun in 1295, was never finished; the money ran out and its towers still stand at half height.
What this atlas maps on Edward I’s ring of iron
Every stop is named in the route itself rather than chosen by a radius, all of them 13th century.
The best known is Caernarfon Castle, ranked 149 of the 8,133 landmarks in the atlas by Wikipedia presence and real readership. The oldest is Criccieth Castle, founded 1230.
The route runs through Wales. The same ground, without the itinerary: Castles in North Wales.
Travelling it
The A55 runs along the coast past Flint, Rhuddlan, Conwy and the Anglesey bridge; Harlech and Criccieth are on the far side of Snowdonia, an hour south. The North Wales Coast line reaches Flint, Rhuddlan, Conwy and Bangor by train, and the Cambrian Coast line Harlech and Criccieth.
Day-trip guides for the towns and cities along it: Liverpool · Wrexham.
See the route on the map →
