In his campaign to subdue northwestern Wales, Edward I had several castles built, with the one in Caernarfon the most remarkable one of them all. As the picture at left shows, the walls are massive, even by the standards set for castles in Wales. The port that the castle guarded allowed Edward easy communications over the sea, and it is noteworthy that Caernarfon is located near the site of a camp built by the Romans, who also relied on seapower for their control of the region.

The walls and towers have an uncanny resemblance to those of the ancient Roman capital of Constantinople.

Especially noteworthy is the structure known as the Eagle Tower, which rises from one of the massive turrets. Sculptors commissioned by Edward carved stone eagles, which have generally been disfigured over seven centuries of stormy weather. Along with the walls, the stone eagles suggest that this French-speaking king sought to create a monument evoking the symbolism and grandeur of the Roman empire. Welsh historian John Davies writes that the architect who built Caernarfon Castle ...created on a strait on the western edge of Europe something of the splendour which had existed for centuries on a strait on the eastern edge [i.e., in Constantinople]. (p. 170)

Such s massive undertaking required hundreds of workers, and the first notable inroads of the English language into this part of Wales resulted from an influx of English artisans.

Adjoining the castle is a walled town that provided living quarters for the English-speaking community that became a permanent presence in the region. The walls were indeed necessary, as the Welsh rose in rebellion from time to time and even managed to overrun both the town and castle in 1294. Despite such conflicts, however, Caernarfon has remained an enduring symbol of the long-standing connections between Wales and England. Indeed the most recent heir to the throne of the United Kingdom was invested as Prince of Wales inside the castle walls.

To see other pictures of the castle, press here.

Source for this page: John Davies A History of Wales. London: Penguin, 1993.