We were away from the cottage by 10.00 on the Saturday morning and crossed over the Menai Straits this time via the Menai Suspension bridge buit in 1826 by Thomas Telford.
Instead of driving straight home we took a detour to the town of Conwy with its medieval town walls and castle.
Views from town wall by the castle.
Conwy castle was built in just four years - construction began in 1283 and it was finished in 1287. It is one of the network of castles mentioned in the last post built in North Wales by King Edward I to secure the new principality he gained after the death in 1282 of the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffuda. The building was supervised by James of St George the master mason from Savoy and the castle was built in a restricted space on a rocky crag. It has two wards that could be defended separately and eight towers along the curtain wall. The inner ward contains medieval royal apartments although Edward I appears only to have stayed at the castle once after it was completed.
The total cost of the castle and town walls came to around £15,000 which is equivalent to approximately £45 million today.
Major repair work had to be carried out around 1347 to re-model the royal apartments. King Richard II sought refuge here in 1399 before his eventual capture at Flint Castle. In 1401 supporters of Owain GlynDwr (see Day One Post on Corwen) captured the castle briefly. In the Civil War Archbishop John Williams fortified and held the castle on behalf of King Charles I and it was one of the last strongholds to succumb to parliamentarian troops. From the 18th century the castle began to attract artists such as J M W Turner and Paul Sandby. In 1986 Conwy along with Beaumaris, Caernarvon and Harlech castles was added to the World Heritage list and today the castle and town walls are in the care of CADW.
The castle was very busy and it wasn't very easy to take photos without hordes of people in the way.
The King's Head is a drawing in space to capture the ghostly presence still of Edward I.
Plants in Walls
While I was wondering backwards and forwards on the ground trying to take pictures without people, B D and E were up on wall walk and towers. To be honest this was one occasion where I did get annoyed with myself and my fear of heights because I think you can see a lot more of the castle and get a far better overview higher up.
Here are the photos D took from the wall walk and towers.
Me taking photos a long way below!
The Royal Chapel with its stone vaulted roof and 3 lancet windows.
By the time B D and E returned I had managed to work out I could access the chapel without going up on the walls so I went off to have a look.
The windows are actually very modern and the artists are Rachel Phillips and Linda Norris. The design structure is based on the map of North Wales and the three windows tell the story of Edward I and the princes of Gwynedd. The windows are inspired by medieval glass fragments in Welsh churches as well as carvings from churches and other medieval buildings such as Plas Mawr house, Conwy. Images are inspired by medieval manuscripts as well as stained glass and also include contemporary images including what may be the first mobile phone in a stained glass window. The panels are installed within the original 13th century glazing groove.
There are a lot of photos - not that good I am afraid - but I wanted to get a record of as many of the images they had used as possible.
The next and final post of the holiday will include a visit to nearby St Mary's Church and a brief look around the town.
Reference: CADW Guide to Conwy Castle
Website: stainedglass.llgc.org.uk/object/4396
*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
I think Linda Norris used to exhibit at my local village hall when she first started out, and think she still lives in the county, near Clynderwen. She's certainly come a long way, and expanded out from her painting too.
ReplyDeleteSorry the holiday is nearly at an end! Home again, home again!
Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you and that is so interesting about Linda Norris. I thought the windows were really beautiful and I loved all the imagery.
ReplyDeleteAlways good to get home and back to my books and garden!! :) But I did love Anglesey and the place we stayed. Everyone wants to return although perhaps not next year. On a plus side I do get to relive the holiday and memories when I do the blog posts :)
You missed a terrific birding location by not visiting the RSPB reserve in Conwy. I have visited it twice and would return in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteDavid M Gascoigne - I know about the RSPB reserve - have read about it many times but at the end of the day it was a family holiday and you have to do what the majority want to do.
ReplyDeleteTime to dump the kids then!
ReplyDeleteThe views from the castle look fantastic but I think I might have stayed on the ground too! It's always a shame when holidays are coming to an end!
ReplyDeleteDavid M Gascoigne - ha ha :)
ReplyDeletePam - I think the wall walks there, according to my son who doesn't mind heights!, were quite scary. It is the low walls and just a few railings that really puts me off! The towers were even higher! I go jelly legged just looking at the photos. Perhaps I should have tried the town wall walk as that was not too high!
Have stayed in Conwy two times so it was nice to see the Castle again, it is a great place. Loved looking at your photos. And we have visited the reserve, but you would need a little more time to look round. You did well to get round the Castle.
ReplyDeleteYou have had a grate holiday and it's been so nice looking at your holiday photos.
Amanda xx
Amanda Peters - Thank you. Conwy would be a lovely place to stay. Yes I would like to visit the reserve and also the Great Orme.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a treat to visit Conwy and the castle (I like it more than Caernarfon) the views across the town and out along the estuary are wonderful. Those windows are beautiful aren't they? It's always a rush to visit places on your way home:)
ReplyDeleteRosie - Thank you. We did think of visiting Caernarfon but my son had read so much about Conwy so that won the vote! The windows were just superb - all those little images :) Normally with Isle of Wight there is the ferry to catch! hence coming straight home after as we usually get it around 2.00 p.m. But as so close to Conwy a shame not to detour :)
ReplyDeleteMy legs still remember being dragged up each and EVERY tower at Conwy by daughter Tamzin - I suspect this was revenge for all the castles I'd made our kids climb down the years!
ReplyDeleteFabulous place - and that image of the King's head is very atmospheric. I believe he employed a French Master Mason to be in charge of the work here - see David Austin, I WAS listening in your Castles in Context lectures!!!
Bovey Belle - Thank you and lol re: all those towers and stairs! The worst part is how the steps are narrow and curve - I went up the wrong one to find the chapel and ended up on battlements and I prayed I wouldn't bump into someone coming up as I went down!!
ReplyDeletelol re: your lecturer - the King's Head is very atmospheric and I think James of St George the Master Mason of the king was from Savoy originally which ties in with the French bit.
I too have a fear of heights but there are places I feel comfortable up in the heights and this is one of those places. I think it is because the wall is so wide that I can step away from the height and walk slowly.
ReplyDeleteCherry Pie - Thank you. I am ok with heights if there is a solid barrier that reaches to my head!! but otherwise no way! Actually my son doesn't mind heights but he found Conwy scary!!
ReplyDeleteWhat weather! And what fascinating stained glass... I guess you felt rewarded in your detour. I'm not sure I have ever been to Conwy Castle. I remember Flint, Beaumaris and Caernarfon... but it's all a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Gill - Thanks so much - we were so lucky with the weather as the only rain fell at night and even though sunny it wasn't too hot! I've not been to Flint or Caernarfon but have been to Harlech which was good.
ReplyDelete