Wales

Caernarfon Castle – romantic images to inspire

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most impressive medieval fortresses in the world. Like Conwy, Caernarfon has a set of extremely well-preserved town walls. Enter through the East Gate into the atmospheric Palace Street, with its rustic atmosphere and Welsh flags everywhere. At the far end of the street, you see a tantalising glimpse of the great Caernarfon Castle. Castle Square is an open space next to it which contains a statue of David Lloyd George. Not only was Lloyd George the local MP, but he was also influential in bringing the investiture of the Prince of Wales to the castle. This brought Caernarfon Castle worldwide fame.

Caernarfon Castle is laid out like a figure of eight. Despite being over 700 years old, it has survived very well indeed. Its outer walls and towers are all still standing, though the inner buildings now just show the foundations. Start with the eight minute film show in the North-East Tower, which traces the castle’s history. Caernarfon Castle was built, along with other castles in Wales, by King Edward I after his victory in the Welsh War of Independence in 1282. However, the story of Caernarfon went back further to Roman times.

A Roman fort here led to a legend of a Roman Emperor who married a local princess, and ruled from Caernarfon. Many believe that Edward I chose Caernarfon carefully as the site of his castle in order to use many of the Welsh legends in his favour. The film goes on to show how Edward I’s son, the future Edward II, was born at Caernarfon Castle, and became the first non-Welsh Prince of Wales. There were other failed sieges in the years that followed the castle’s speedy construction, whilst it also saw action during the English Civil War.

It may have seen sieges, but nowadays it offers a peaceful atmosphere

These days, the site is run as a tourist attraction by Cadw. It has also seen the investiture of two Princes of Wales, including that of Charles in 1969. The Welsh slate dais on which Charles was invested still remains just outside the tower. The film is mega impressive, using a rounded screen and top of the range technology in order to tell the story. Another bonus is the dark and atmospheric room in which it is situated.

After it finishes, take the opportunity to admire the view through the Queen’s Gate. There are great views over the docks. On our visit, the castle was filled with a bunch of costumed medieval characters. We recognised them as the castle’s staff, including the curator John, who we had met on entry! It is great to see how everyone gets involved in providing a great experience for visitors. A mini-show was beginning, with a bunch of young children kitted out with bows and arrows!

The children were taught how to use them by two rather Blackadder-ish characters. This in itself was hilarious as the children were mostly too young to have any clue what was going on! The commander had them all lined up at the arrow slits, ready to shoot at passers-by, or potential invaders.

Start your proper tour of the castle by admiring the King’s Gate, through which you entered the castle. It is apparent that this was once a very strong gateway. There is evidence of portcullises, arrowloops, and murder holes providing extra defence mechanisms. You can access the upper part of the gatehouse from a doorway here. It is clear that a lot of thought went into the castle’s design, as there are doorways and corridors everywhere. This is a castle you can easily get lost in!

Caernarfon Castle is fantastic for couples with a sense of adventure

A very thick window offers great views of the Eagle Tower. Cadw’s reluctance to ruin this historic site with over-zealous health and safety installations is welcome. You could easily fall here, as well as in many other places of the castle. Therefore, it is important to be careful where you are going. Some of the arrow slits in the castle walls are double ones. This allows two archers to shoot through the same hole, which is a clever idea. Also up here is a chapel, signified by its sink.

Back on the ground, make sure to admire the Kitchens, which are much better preserved than at Conwy Castle. Although on first glance it appears that only the foundations remain, the area offers many fascinating discoveries. For example, you can see where two copper cauldrons would have been set against the wall, with fireplaces underneath to heat them. You can also see evidence of medieval drainage, with remains of lead piping even still visible.

The Kitchens are set against the Well Tower, so first of all descend the stairs to stand at the bottom of the tower. No floors remain in this tower, so you can see details of all of the former rooms at once. After heading back up to ground level, climb the Well Tower to find the 50 feet deep well that gives it its name. It is very dark at first, but a sensor can be triggered which lights it up. Very pretty views can be found up here across the wall walk. It is possible to take the wall walk to the part above the chapel, where you can see the impressive foundations for a seemingly never completed large hall.

Look at those views! (You may catch yourself saying that a lot)

Continue onwards to the North-East Tower. The views at the tops of all of the towers are just sensational, and offer romance of the highest level. Back on the ground, head towards perhaps the most impressive of all the castle’s towers – the Eagle Tower. With its three lofty turrets, it is clear that this one is rather special. Indeed, there just seems to be something more luxurious about the provisions inside. It was built for Edward I to live in. The basement shows evidence of the planned Water Gate, though it was never completed. You won’t believe how thick the walls are down here. If you climb up towards the arrowloop you will have to walk over to it!

The ground floor contains a striking exhibition called ‘Game of Crowns’. It is a life-size chess board that fills the room. Roughly life-size pieces based on major players in the wars between the Welsh and English take the squares. These wars decided the fate of the Prince of Wales name in medieval times. The Welsh are coloured red, whereas the English are white. Pieces are taller or smaller depending on their success in those battles, whilst they face those that they fought with. It is a fascinating way to follow the history, if a little confusing when the room is busy.

Also inside the room are mementos from Prince Charles’ investiture at the castle, along with a video of the occasion. This is well worth watching. The mementos include tickets, and spectactor seats. Even more impressive is the Queen’s Throne and the kneeling stool where Charles did homage to the Queen. A former Prince of Wales’ refusal to do homage to Edward I in the 1270s triggered off his invasion of North Wales in the first place.

The first non-Welsh Prince of Wales was born here

The main chamber on the first floor contains another exhibition, about the life of Queen Eleanor of Castile. Eleanor was Edward I’s wife, who gave birth to the future Edward II here in the castle. A small room just off from here was believed to be the birthplace, and has the arms of the future Edward VII inserted into the window. He too was invested as Prince of Wales here. The exhibition is very interesting, with origami style scenes beautifully telling the story.

The room at the top is left empty, so you can really get a feel for the size of these impressive rooms. The fireplace is so large it can be climbed into. You can also go up to a little balcony overlooking the room for photos and a different view. From here, head to the roof of the tower, because that too has remarkable views. The roof of this tower is filled in, so it has a slightly different feeling to most of the others. From up here, if you are lucky you can watch the swing bridge open to allow a boat through on the river.

You can climb to the top of the west turret as well. Up here, on the battlements, are weathered stone figures. You can make out that one is an eagle, hence the name of the tower! The views up here are unbeatable. After retracing your steps back down to the courtyard, enter the Queen’s Tower. This and the adjoining Chamberlain Tower house the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum. Skip that for now, because you will want to climb the steps to access the wall walk.

It is so easy to get lost in Caernarfon Castle – not a bad thing!

There are actually two levels of wall walks between this tower and the Eagle Tower. Admire the views from both, before negotiating the long, dark, and mysterious corridors that lead all the way to the other end of the castle. This place is seriously confusing in its layout, therefore very easy to get lost. If you can somehow make your way across to the Black Tower, you will find a very iconic exhibition. It uses a model of King Edward I’s head, cut into four, to tell the stories of Welsh legends that inspired him to set up his Royal palace-fortress here in Caernarfon.

Take time to see the Cistern Tower, which contains a large rainwater tank made from stone. This collected the rainwater from the nearby roofs. The wall walks end around this point rather abruptly. Backtrack in order to return back to ground level and head through the Queen’s Gate. This formidable gateway wasn’t completed, which makes it rather unusual. You can get great views of the town from its balcony from where Prince Charles addressed the people as Prince of Wales.

Walk up the North-East Tower next. From the top, you can see the adjacent Watch Tower, which once acted as a look-out point. Having finished your tour of the castle, enter the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum. This fascinating museum is housed in the Queen’s Tower and the Chamberlain Tower. The story of Wales’ oldest infantry regiment is told in detail here. They date back to 1689! There are plenty of chances to dress up in period army costumes throughout the rooms. The collection of war medals is astonishing. It includes Victoria Crosses, and an oak leaf medal that was awarded to those who got a mention in dispatches, as Amy’s Grandfather did.

Allow some time for the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum

Many famous battles and conflicts that the regiment fought in (including the American War of Independence, and Napoleonic Wars) are relayed with the help of models, artefacts and information boards. Of course, the regiment goat is featured too! Some of the items that are included seem almost mystical, including the Burma Bell. You could easily spend a lot of time in here if you are interested in military history.

Once you have left the castle, you can take a walk around the town walls. Make sure to notice the weathered statue of Edward II above the entrance to the castle. It was erected in 1320! The town walls are comprised of eight towers and two gateways and date from the same time as the castle. Across the road you can see the walls end. Down Hole in the Wall Street, you can take a peek at the inside face of the walls. Here you can see the remains of a staircase.

You can then just stroll around the outside of the walls the rest of the way. Just outside is Bar Bach, the smallest bar in Wales. Head underneath the bridge that sits beneath the East Gate, which was the main entrance to the town. An ancient looking chapel sits within the bridge. The buildings around here are painted in pleasing pastel colours, which provide a lovely atmosphere. The stretch of walls here is remarkably well-preserved, and you can clearly see the arrowloops.

The best views of the Castle are from across the water

There is a modern opening to the town here, right next to the Black Boy Inn. Two gates later is the chapel of St Mary, which was built in the early 1300s and still survives. You will come next to the town quayside, which has a real medieval atmosphere. It is a gorgeous place for a stroll. When you get around to the swing bridge, make sure to cross over for some of the best views of the castle. It looks extraordinary from over there. The river Seiont will be in the foreground along with all of the boats, many ruined themselves.

After crossing back over, continue the walk around to the Queen’s Gate. It is well worth it. We loved Caernarfon Castle, and can easily see why it is held in such high regard. There are few more romantic images than ruins. Just ask Turner and Wordsworth! The ruins at Caernarfon Castle are among the best in the world. You and your partner should definitely visit. Depending on your interest level, it would be easy to spend a full day at the castle.

Have you been to Caernarfon Castle? Can you think of a more romantic castle?

The National Slate Museum of Wales

The National Slate Museum, in Llanberis, North Wales, celebrates the importance of the slate industry to the country. It is based in the 19th century workshops of the former Dinorwic Slate Quarry, which have thankfully been preserved to tell this important industrial story. The Llanberis Lake Railway passes the front of the museum. It is great fun to watch it pass by, rather slowly at this point. Don’t forget to wave at the driver!

The museum opens at 10am, and you enter through an imposing building with an archway. To be honest, as picturesque as it is, it kind of reminds us of Auschwitz. You enter the museum through the shop, where they give you a map to help guide you around. Initially have a walk around the courtyard to get your bearings, because this will help you decide how best to approach the site.

We recommend starting with the introductory film, To Steal A Mountain. The film tells the story of the quarry’s development, and is really interesting. Particularly the bit about Victorian tourists going up the mountain in the slate carts! The film shows in numerous languages, but they provide headphones for translation. We found this out as our showing was in French.

Slate splitting is quite the skill

As soon as the film finishes, make a beeline to the slate splitting demonstration room. The demonstration is very popular, and can fill up a few minutes before the advertised start time. Try and get a seat on the front row if you can, as the rows behind don’t offer a perfectly clear view. It takes years for quarrymen to learn how to split and dress the slate, so it is really great to see. After showing you how it is done using various tools, he even makes a heart shape out of a piece of slate.

The site is fairly small, so it is easy to backtrack to things you have missed. If you don’t have the luxury of a full day, see the highlights first, and then you can see everything else at your leisure. One thing you don’t want to miss is the Water Wheel, which once powered all of the workshops. It is the largest working Water Wheel in the UK, at 15.4 metres in diameter, and is housed in its own building, Heading up the stairs to view it is pretty exciting, but still won’t prepare you for just how big it really is! It is huge!

The next highlight is Fron Haul. This row of quarrymen’s houses has been rebuilt here, in much the same style as St Fagans in Cardiff. Like the row of houses there, these four houses are all decorated to a different era. Start with the oldest one, which is furthest away, and move through the ages chronologically. The first one is home to an exhibition about a play that had been made about a famous strike.

You’ve heard nothing until you hear country and western songs sang in Welsh

It is interesting to see how things changed between the different eras, with the importance of the fireplace, kitchen, and home entertainment changing in front of your eyes. The last house has a 1960s design. It contains lots of stereotypical 60’s items, and even has a Welsh country record playing on the record player!

After Fron Haul, just follow the provided map, which is numbered by the points of interest. You should head to the workshops, and firstly to the Power Hall. This impressive room contains the Pelton Wheel that replaced the Water Wheel, due to its improved efficiency. The Foundry is very interesting, a massive room which just shows how self-sufficient the workshops were. Even the metal components were made here on site! There are reconstructed scenes using mannequins that brought the feeling of the foundry to life, minus the heat!

The workshops were self-sufficient

The stairs lead to the Pattern Loft, in which pattern makers produced patterns for any metal object that the workshops needed. Over 2,000 of them are on display. The Forge is another area that you can imagine being filled with noise and activity once upon a time. Some of the machinery looks very unforgiving and dangerous. The Machine Shop is much the same. The buildings that form the imposing entrance to the site are next, starting with the Stores and Clerk’s Office. You could imagine the clerk had just popped out for his lunch.

Walk through the courtyard to the Cropping Shed, where you will find some of the largest machines, including the cutter. The courtyard has much of interest including a wise owl carved out of slate and the Velocipede, or grey snail. These primitive train-like vehicles would have been used in Victorian times to transport the workers to and from the quarry.

The building through which the rear yard can be accessed contains a couple of saw sheds, and interestingly, UNA the engine! This cute steam engine was once used on the quarries. Finally, visit the Chief Engineer’s House, still decorated as in Victorian times, the mess room where meals were eaten and hobbies pursued, and an exhibition.

Consequently, is it worth visiting?

The National Slate Museum offers a fantastic day out. We recommend allowing around four hours if you would like to see everything. Obviously, this depends on your interest levels. If you are particularly interested in industrial heritage, then you should allow more time. There is a guidebook available in the shop that also features a tour of the site. We just used the map, because the informative information boards that are situated throughout the museum tell the story well.

Have you ever been to the National Slate Museum? What is your hometown famous for producing? 

Plas Mawr – An Elizabethan Gem

Plas Mawr is an Elizabethan townhouse, in Conwy, North Wales. It was built by a member of the Welsh Gentry called Robert Wynn, between 1576 and 1585. It is remarkable to see how it has remained so intact since those days. Partly this is due to it not being used as a family home since the 1600’s. Instead, it was used as a school, lodgings, and the headquarters of an art academy. Cadw took it over in 1993, and have done a remarkable job restoring the property. They have based their furnishings on an inventory taken of furniture left in the house on the death of Robert Wynn’s grandson in 1664.

It is now perhaps the finest surviving example of an Elizabethan townhouse in the world. Being on the High Street, however, it is easy to miss. You just don’t take as much notice of your surroundings on a busy street. We nearly walked past it on our way there. When you do notice it, though, it will impress you right away. It is best to at least cross over the road to admire its frontage, since it is a very narrow street. Even so, it is difficult to appreciate just how impressive and extensive the interior is from here.

Plas Mawr is ideal to be combined with Conwy Castle

Plas Mawr is just a five minute walk away from Conwy Castle, so can easily be combined in a one-day visit. In an ideal world, however, you may wish to visit them on separate days. There is much to see at both sites, so this way you can enjoy them at a more leisurely pace. After getting your tickets, you pass through a small courtyard into the house proper. They offer a choice of an audio guide, or a large plastic map with written information about each room. We recommend the audio guide. The audio guide really brings the house to life. It does feel a bit forced at times, however, clearly being read from a script.

The first room is the Hall, which will set the mood for the rest of the house. The fireplace contains some marvellous ornamental plasterwork, intended to show off Wynn’s wealth to visitors. This would have been the first room they likely saw back then, as it is now. Therefore, it had to set the scene. Wynn’s initials are part of it, as they are in many places throughout the house. There is also a fantastic Tudor cupboard in the room, which also contains similar emblems.

You can see that Englishmen wouldn’t always have been so welcome in Wales

The emblems relate to the descendants of Wynn and his wife Dorothy. Many of them are symbols of the princes of Gwynedd, including a severed Englishman’s head! A semi-naked woman also features heavily throughout the house. She looks rather grotesque, it must be said! Not only did these emblems likely impress visitors, but they also showed off the family’s impressive lineage.

The Kitchen is a remarkable recreation. They actually use real vegetables and herbs in the decorations, and you can smell it as soon as you enter. It really transports you back to the times. Particularly intriguing is the hanging cage above the table, in which bread could be stored away from the children and animals.

A couple more service rooms follow, before you enter the Parlour. Inside the Parlour is some of the finest plasterwork in the house, as this is where prominent guests would have been entertained. The royal arms of Queen Elizabeth I are displayed above the fireplace in this room. In rooms where his social inferiors would have congregated, Robert Wynn’s initials were the most prominent. This was common social etiquette in Elizabethan society, in which emblems were all-important.

Through the Brewhouse is the picturesque Upper Courtyard, complete with its own well. The fine Elizabethan Garden is connected to this courtyard, and has two terraces. The garden has been planted in the style of the period, to further immerse you in the history of the house.

Plas Mawr hides many peculiarities in the building work

From here, we headed up to the top floor. One room has its fine timber roof visible, complete with decorated trusses. It seems likely that this ceiling was intended as that of the great chamber below. However, in the end it was actually used by servants. There may have been an issue with the masonry and carpentry not working in sync, leading to a new plaster ceiling being installed to cover up the mess. Part of the room is far less ornate, showing it was possibly never finished.

Above the Brewhouse is a chamber that was possibly used by Wynn himself. The plasterwork in here is sensational. Next to it is another chamber, over the parlour, in which Dorothy would have possibly slept. The plaster ceiling is also elaborate in here, and a four poster bed is on display too. A room in which a servant would have slept sits in between the two chambers, so that they could be on call during the night.

Next, you enter possibly the most impressive room in the entire house – the great chamber. This large room is richly furnished, and would have been the main room used for entertaining prominent guests. Queen Elizabeth I’s initials are proudly displayed above the fireplace, and those semi-naked women are everywhere. The fireplace appears to be marble, but on closer inspection, is actually painted to appear so!

The final set of rooms in the house contain an exhibition called ‘A Balance of Humours’, which discusses water, health and hygiene in Tudor and Stuart Britain. It is fascinating to see how differently illnesses are perceived nowadays from then, as well as some of the bizarre and even wince-inducing cures that were used.

Fabulous views of Conwy from Plas Mawr’s tower

The final thing to do is climb a ladder up to the tower. From here, marvellous views of the town can be had. Windows can be opened on all four sides to provide views of every angle from the quayside to the castle.

After visiting the house, see if the nearby St Mary’s Church is open. It contains the tomb of Robert Wynn, and a memorial to Dorothy. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited. Plas Mawr is a perfect wet weather date idea when on a break to North Wales. Apart from the Gardens and courtyards, there is little to see outside. Having said this, the Garden is particularly romantic in style, and it would be heavenly strolling around in the sunshine. Transporting yourselves back in time in this rambling house is sure to be a highlight of your trip!

Have you ever been to Plas Mawr? Can you think of any other fine Elizabethan townhouses that are worth visiting?