Beaumaris Castle is a fantastic site to visit, one of Edward I’s ring of fortresses designed to subdue the Welsh, and a superb example of concentric defences.
Visiting Beaumaris Castle
Although Beaumaris Castle is one of CADW’s most popular attractions, with over 100,000 choosing to visit, there is surprisingly little on site. There is a large car park and there are picnic tables in the grounds and in the park outside and the inevitable gift shop. There is a small exhibition from memory and information boards around the site. There is no tea room (a major revenue generator surely) although there are plenty of cafes in the town.
My Experience
We have seen Beaumaris Castle twice and on each visit were blessed with glorious sunshine. It’s a shame the castle wasn’t finished and the defences are all lower than they should have been but it is still a magnificent place to see. The interior emphasises the concentric nature of the walls and walking through the gatehouse is impressive too.
Photo Gallery
History
Background
Beaumaris Castle was the last of the great fortresses built in Wales by Edward I. Earlier in his reign, he had fought two wars against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales whose stronghold was in Snowdonia in the north-west of the principality. In the first war, fought between 1276 and 1277, he had decisively defeated the Welsh Prince and confiscated all land to the east of the River Conwy. However, oppressive English rule led to a new conflict and in 1282 Edward again had to muster forces to occupy Wales. Gruffudd was killed at the Battle of Orewin Bridge in the opening stages of the war and English forces quickly overran lowland Wales forcing the rebels back into their Snowdonia redoubt. However, that relied upon supplies of food from the Isle of Anglesey, which was effectively the bread-basket for much of northern Wales, and accordingly the island was overrun by the English. With the Welsh defeated, Edward secured his conquest by building numerous castles to permanently encircle Snowdonia. Whilst some – Castell-y-Bere, Criccieth and Dolwyddelan – were modified Welsh built castles, he also commissioned three new fortresses at Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. A dedicated fortification on Anglesey was considered at this time but Caernarfon, on the mainland, was deemed sufficient. However, the situation changed in 1294 when a new Welsh rebellion, this time led by Madog ap Llywelyn, erupted.
Madog ap Llywelyn
In Autumn 1294 Madog ap Llywelyn rebelled against English rule. He was a descendant of the Princes of Gwynedd and his revolt soon gained traction aided by wide scale resentment against oppressive English rule and excessive taxation. The unfinished Caernarfon Castle was stormed by the rebels and burnt whilst the Sheriff of Anglesey was lynched. However, despite the loss of Caernarfon, the other fortresses built by Edward I proved their worth. Criccieth, Conwy and Harlech all held out and provided key bases to check the rebellion. In Spring 1295 Edward I launched a major amphibious landing on Anglesey, the centre of the insurgency, and devastated the major settlement at Llanfaes. The rebellion was crushed and by July 1295 Madog was in custody. However, the uprising had highlighted the folly of not having a fortress on Anglesey and within just a few weeks of landing on the island, Edward I had commissioned his chief engineer, Master James of St George, to build a new fortress.
The Castle
Work started on Beaumaris Castle in April 1295. The site chosen for the castle was near the Welsh town of Llanfaes in direct proximity to the Menai Strait, the stretch of water between Anglesey and the mainland. The site was unpopulated marshland when the castle builders started their work enabling Beaumaris Castle to be configured in an unrestricted concentric design (Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech were also concentric but their shape was altered to fit the terrain on which they were built). The outer defence consisted of a moat, which was fed directly from the sea, which prevented undermining and provided a means of waste removal. The central defences consisted of an outer curtain wall augmented by circular towers. An Outer Gate provided access to a fortified dock ensuring the castle could always be resupplied by sea. The inner defences were the most substantial consisting of a tall curtain wall complete with six large towers and two massive gatehouse keeps.
Over 1,500 men were employed in the construction of Beaumaris Castle and progress proceeded apace; by the start of 1296 the structure already stood in excess of six metres tall. However, such construction was expensive and the same year the First War of Scottish Independence started. Although the Scots were swiftly defeated in the field, rebellion and uprisings continued forcing Edward to regularly campaign in the north. When the King sought to secure his new Scottish territories with castles, in the same manner as he did in Wales, he was forced to build his new structures in timber as he could no longer afford such lavish constructions such as Beaumaris. Linlithgow Castle for example was originally as large as Beaumaris but constructed solely from earth and timber. With such financial pressures, work on Beaumaris slowed considerably in Summer 1296 and thereafter virtually ceased. This left significant parts of the structure incomplete including the northern portion of the outer curtain wall and many of the buildings of the Inner Ward.
The Town
Concurrently with the construction of the castle, Beaumaris town was founded. This was established to the immediate south-west of the castle and the nearby existing Welsh town of Llanfaes was suppressed to prevent any competition with the new settlement. Beaumaris town thrived aided by its income from the Menai ferry and by 1305 it had become the largest borough in North Wales outstripping both Caernarfon and Conwy. Town walls were planned for the new settlement but, as work came to a halt on the castle, the plan was put on hold.
Later Medieval Period
Work on the castle resumed in 1306 after the constable, John of Metfield, petitioned Edward, Prince of Wales for funding. Over the next two decades, this funding enabled completion of the outer curtain wall. The fortress received semi-regular funding throughout the fourteenth century although it was never adequate and a survey in 1343 found the structure to be ruinous. Nevertheless, in 1381 it was able to defy a Scottish force that raided Anglesey. It was also able to resist Owain Glyndŵr in 1403 when he besieged the castle. Details of this action are sparse but records suggest Beaumaris held out for several months before falling to the rebels. It was recaptured by Irish mercenaries in 1405.
Beaumaris Town Walls
The Scottish raid of 1381 and the Glyndŵr revolt finally prompted the fortification of the town. Work started on the town walls around 1407 and enclosed a wedged shaped area extending westwards from the castle. It was a stone rampart, some two metres thick, fronted by a ditch. The wall remained intact until 1669 when portions were demolished to improve access and the remainder was removed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Civil War
During the seventeenth century Civil War most of Wales was Royalist territory as was Anglesey. The island’s remote location meant it played no part of the war until early 1646 when, with the Royalist cause on the verge of collapse, it became one of the last coastal locations through which the King could hope to import Irish troops. Richard Bulkeley was assigned as Governor and tasked with holding the castle but he was undermined by the local gentry and forced into surrendering to a Parliamentary force under Thomas Mytton. However in July 1648, during the Second Civil War, Buckley seized control of Beaumaris Castle and declared his renewed support for the King. He remained in possession until 2 October 1648 when he was compelled to surrender to a Parliamentary force. Thereafter the castle was slighted to prevent further military use. It passed into state care in 1926.
References
The CADW site here and gives good information about visiting the site
The history above is taken from the fantastic Castles forts battles site here.
Castles of Wales has a detailed history of Beaumaris here.