Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales
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In the center of the frame is the imposing gatehouse. At the base of the walls is a wide ditch. It was never meant to be filled with water as a traditional moat--it was wide enough to thwart seige weapons even without water. At the right of frame, in the far distance, you can see the coast of the Irish Sea.
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The view from on top of the gatehouse towers looking back over the visitor parking lot towards the village of Harlech.
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The southeast tower of Harlech Castle.
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There's not much protection from the elements for those standing watch on top of the ramparts.
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In this panorama taken from the top of the ramparts, the new coastline of Tremadog Bay can be seen in the distance. Originally the Irish Sea lapped at the rocks at the base of the castle, but in the centuries since the castle was built the coastline has moved out. Now there's a golf course.
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The castle is lit up a night.
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Each tower was known for its primary function. The functions and names have shifted over time, but at various times they have been designated as Prison Tower, a Chapel Tower, a Garden Tower, a Debtor's Tower, and Armourer's Tower, amongst others.
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The Two Kings statue that stands to the south of the castle. Sculpted by Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1984, the sculpture depicts the Mabinogion story of Branwen, a lament of the folly and carnage of war. In the sculpture, the figure of Bendigeidfran, bearing the body of his nephew Gwern, symbolises the sorrowful burden that love can be.
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While exposed to the elements--it can't have been a very comfortable place for guard duty--the ramparts provide extraordinary views.
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The shows the inner ward, with the inside face of the gatehouse in the center of the frame, from the western ramparts.
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The arrow slits provide a small window through the thick stone walls for archers to shoot.
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The street that runs alongside the castle, at night.
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Part of the outer ward defenses.
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The Two Kings statue that stands next to the southern side of Harlech Castle. Sculpted by Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1984, the sculpture depicts the Mabinogion story of Branwen, a lament of the folly and carnage of war. In the sculpture, the figure of Bendigeidfran, bearing the body of his nephew Gwern, symbolises the sorrowful burden that love can be.
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The exhibit space at Harlech Castle is basic, but there is a section detailing the history of the castle along with some dioramas depicting what it once looked like.
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Visitors now enter the castle through the main gatehouse across a wooden bridge spanning a wide ditch that was designed to thwart siege weapons.
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From the eastern battlements looking north.
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The impressive gatehouse seen from ground level in the inner ward.
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A view of Harlech village from the top of the gatehouse.
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A rampart-level view of the inside face of the massive gatehouse as it leads into the castle's inner ward.
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Men of Harlech, march to glory,
Victory is hov’ring o’er ye,
Bright-eyed freedom stands before ye,
Hear ye not her call?
“Men of Harlech” (Rhyfelgyrch Gwŷr Harlech)
Harlech Castle has stood for 700 years so far. And there’s every chance it’ll stand guard over this corner of Snowdonia’s coastline for at at least another 700.
It looks like the quintessential medieval fortress, with its symmetrical design framed by corner towers connected by solid stone ramparts–it’s a very different kind of castle than something like Highclere Castle or Sudeley Castle. As you stand on top of the towers looking down over the cliffs or towards Harlech village, it’s easy to imagine archers manning the battlements. An enormous stone gatehouse stands in the way of the only direction an attack could feasibly have come.
And the castle would have been even more imposing at the time it was built. Back then, the water of the Irish Sea in Tremadog Bay lapped at the foot of the rocky crag the castle was built on, effectively providing natural protection on three sides. In the ensuing centuries, though, the coast has moved out. There’s now a golf course and glorified trailers that pass in this part of the world as low-end–and, it has to be said, not particularly attractive–beach cabins.
Construction was started in 1283 and mostly finished by 1289, it was one of a series of 14 castles (along with Conwy, Caernarfon, and Beaumaris) built by Edward I to consolidate his rule over the conquered Welsh. And, remarkably, many of the invoices and receipts are still available in the British Library.1
