#1323CE

[whencyclopedia]

Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle (aka Caernarvon) is located in North Wales and was first built from 1283 CE by Edward I of England (r. 1272-1307 CE) to help, along with several other major castles, control the newly conquered area. As the administrative capital of Edward's still hostile province, Caernarfon Castle was tested in military attacks and modifications were then made to improve its defences which included the massive King's Gate. The castle would be added to extensively over the next half-century but more or less completed by 1330 CE. Today the castle is in a good state of preservation and continues to be important in the affairs of the monarchy, Prince Charles being invested there as Prince of Wales in 1969 CE like several of his predecessors. The castle has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 CE.

Edward I's Castle Building

From 1272 CE Edward I, the new king of England, conquered most of Wales and joined it with the county system present in England. Following the death of Llywelyn, the Prince of Wales, in 1282 CE, the only part of Wales which remained free was the wild mountainous north, and here the king built several major castles including Caernarfon, the most important. The site chosen along the Menai Strait and at the mouth of the Seiont River had also been the location of a Roman fort, Segontium (abandoned 394 CE), a Norman motte and bailey castle (c. 1093 CE), and the seat of the Welsh royal court from 1115 CE until Edward's takeover. It is the ancient fort which gives its name to the castle as the Welsh called the Roman structure y gaer yn Arfon, meaning the 'stronghold in the land over against Mon' (referring to the island Mon or Anglesey). The motte or mound of the Norman castle would, meanwhile, be absorbed into the upper courtyard of the new castle, built, like its predecessor, on an easily defended peninsula.

The chief architect and engineer who planned and oversaw the construction of Edward's castle was the experienced Master James of St Georges (c. 1235-1308 CE), who was also involved in Edward's other new castles in Wales such as Harlech Castle, Conwy Castle, and Beaumaris Castle. Due to the lie of the land, the castle could not be built as a concentric one with outer and inner walls. Instead, two inner courts or baileys were constructed side by side and a long stretch of walls was erected to enclose the settlement nearby.

Work began in the summer of 1283 CE. Records show that materials for the castle cost 150 pounds but the transportation of them cost 535 pounds. Most of this costly material was stone used for the massive walls - 6 metres (20 ft.) thick in places. When the first building phase was finished in 1292 CE - at a total cost of 12,000 pounds (over 18 million US dollars today), the castle became Edward's administrative and judicial capital in North Wales. A second major construction phase costing slightly more than the first would follow between 1295 and 1323 CE, with further additions coming along up to 1330 CE when the records of expenses cease, although the castle would never be completely finished.

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