Thursday, March 21, 2013

Harlech Castle, Wales

Constructed atop a spur of rock, close to the Irish sea, in the seaside resort in Gwynedd, Wales lies Harlech Castle.


Having stood the test of time, UNESCO considers Harlech Castle to be of  "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe." Harlech Castle was built by Edward I during his invasion of Wales between 1282 and 1289. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars.

The fortification was built of local stone and is concentric in design, featuring a massive gatehouse that probably once provided high-status accommodation for the castle constable and visiting dignitaries.

Access via the stairway to the sea and crucial supplies kept the castle’s besieged inhabitants fed and watered. When it was first built, a channel would have connected the castle and the sea. You could have sailed a boat up to the moat. Seven hundred years later, the sea has receded and you could say the castle appears almost stranded, waiting for the tide to turn once more.

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