Caernarfon Castle

About

Caernarfon Castle is not subtle. It was never meant to be. It is a statement of conquest built in stone, its massive polygonal towers and colour-banded walls deliberately echoing the imperial walls of Constantinople. Edward I began construction in 1283, the year after he crushed Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's rebellion, and he poured more money into Caernarfon than any of his other Welsh castles. It was a seat of government, a royal palace, and — above all — a symbol.

The Eagle Tower, the grandest of the castle's towers, rises 124 feet above the Menai Strait. Edward's son — the first English Prince of Wales — was born here in 1284, a calculated political gesture that still resonates. The castle was besieged by Owain Glyndŵr in 1403-4 but never fell. In 1969, Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales in a televised ceremony within the castle walls, an event that remains deeply controversial in Welsh memory.

Today Caernarfon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the wall-walk connecting its towers gives you one of the finest castle experiences in Europe — continuous rampart access with views over the Menai Strait, Anglesey, and the mountains of Snowdonia. The Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers occupies the Queen's Tower. Stand in the King's Gate — the most elaborate medieval gatehouse ever built, with six portcullises and multiple murder holes — and you'll understand that this was a castle built not just to defend, but to intimidate.

Videos

Getting There

Terrain & Accessibility

The courtyard and Royal Welsh Fusiliers Museum are accessible. The wall walks and towers require climbing many spiral stairs. The Eagle Tower has 159 steps. Cadw provides accessibility information in advance.

Visitor Reviews