- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1283 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Wales, United Kingdom
- Architect
- James of Saint George
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 52.8600°, -4.1092°
History
The castle was built in 1283–1289 for King Edward I after his conquest of Wales, to designs by Master James of St George. Its concentric walls rose on a crag whose foot was then washed by the sea, so the garrison could be supplied by water. In 1404 the Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr captured it and held it until 1409. During the Wars of the Roses the Lancastrians held out here until 1468, and in 1647 Harlech was the last Royalist stronghold to surrender to Parliament. In 1986 the castle was inscribed on the UNESCO list together with Edward I's other fortresses in Gwynedd.
What to see
The highlight is the massive twin-towered gatehouse, now entered by a footbridge across the old moat. You can walk the walls around the courtyard and towers, with views of the mountains of Eryri, the bay and the Llŷn peninsula. At the foot of the crag survives the steep stairway known as the Way from the Sea, which once led down to a landing place.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q540964
Popularity: articles about this site in 30 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).