Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle (traditional English: Conway Castle; Welsh: Castell Conwy) is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.

Construction

It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales. The design and work was overseen by master mason James of St. George using 1,500 laborers and stonecutters. An estimated £15,000 (£162 million in 2009) was spent building the castle and the town's defences, the largest single sum Edward I spent on any of his Welsh castles between 1277 and 1304.

Conwy superficially resembles a concentric castle but it is more accurately described as a linear fortification because, like Caernarfon Castle, it was built on a rock promontory. This was to prevent undermining and also guard the entrance to the River Conwy. The promontory, which is about 15 metres (49 ft) high, was originally surrounded by the river on two sides. With the advent of the North Wales Coast railway in the 19th century, land reclamation around the castle has isolated it from the river.

Design

The fortress is divided into an outer and inner ward. These are separated by 15 feet (4.6 m) thick walls and a deep rock gully. Each ward was protected by four towers more than 70 feet (21 m) high, 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter and consisting of several storeys. The inner ward's towers also had the additional defence of turrets.

Access to the castle was originally up a stepped ramp - of which, a small part remains - across a drawbridge, through a gateway with portcullis and into the barbican. Entrants then turned left through the main gateway into the outer ward. This housed the main living quarters for the garrison and the prison tower. A wall and gatehouse with enfilading arrow slits defended the inner ward. This part contained the heated Royal Apartments and the Great Hall. At the back of the castle there was another barbican guarding the riverside.

In the 13th century, a watchtower was built on the site of Bodysgallen Hall. Its purpose was to act as a lookout towards the north an area not easily watched from Conwy itself. Some of the stone used in construction of Conwy Castle has been linked to a quarry at Bodysgallen.^[1]

History

Construction at Conwy ceased in 1289. Six years later Edward I was besieged here during the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn. The siege lasted for several months and supplies ran low. However the castle and town were not captured. In the 14th century alterations were carried out under Edward, the Black Prince.

On 12 August 1399, after returning from Ireland, the unpopular king Richard II made his way to Conwy Castle where he met the Earl of Northumberland for negotiations to give up his crown.^[2] A week later he surrendered to Henry Bolingbroke at Flint Castle promising to abdicate if his life was spared. Richard II was transferred to Tower of London where he died a year later.

In 1403 Welsh forces led by Rhys and Gwilym, sons of Tudur ap Gronw, and the cousins of Owain Glyndwr, captured the castle and its English garrison. The fortress and the soldiers were later ransomed back to Henry IV. Tudur ap Gronw was the forefather of Henry Tudor. During the War of the Roses Conwy was taken by William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke under orders from Edward IV in 1461.

Conwy Castle - Photo ©
David Benbennick, 14 May 2005

But by the early 17th century, the once great Royal Castle had become dilapidated and was largely unused. However at the outbreak of the English Civil War Conwy was again garrisoned for the King. It was captured after a three-month siege by the Parliamentary army in 1646. It was slighted and left as an empty shell.

Later the restored Charles II granted Conwy Castle to Edward Conway, 3rd Viscount Conway. In 1665 the remaining timber, iron and lead was removed from the castle by William Milward on behalf of the peer and sold.^[3]

Present Day

References

^ C.M. Hogan, History of Bodysgallen Hall, July, 2004, Aberdeen Municipal Library Archives, Aberdeen, Scotland
^ Saul (1997), pp. 412–3.
^ Taylor, Arnold (1985). Studies in Castles and Castle-Building. Hambledon Press. ISBN 0907628516.

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