Beaumaris Castle

Printed Paper Voucher Required

Beaumaris on the island of Anglesey is famous as the greatest castle never built. It was the last of the royal strongholds created by Edward I in Wales – and perhaps his masterpiece. Here Edward and his architect James of St George took full advantage of a blank canvas: the ‘beau mareys’ or ‘beautiful marsh’ beside the Menai Strait. By now they’d already constructed the great castles of Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech. This was to be their crowning glory, the castle to end all castles. The result was a fortress of immense size and near-perfect symmetry.

Mae Biwmares ar Ynys Môn yn enwog am mai yma mae’r castell gorau erioed na’i hadeiladwyd. Hwn oedd yr olaf o’r cadarnleoedd brenhinol a grëwyd gan Edward I yng Nghymru - ac efallai ei gampwaith. Yma manteisiodd Edward a’i bensaer James o San Siôr yn llawn ar gynfas gwag, sef y ‘beau mareys’ neu ‘gors hardd’ wrth ymyl Afon Menai. Erbyn hyn, roeddent eisoes wedi adeiladu cestyll mawrion Conwy, Caernarfon a Harlech. Hwn fyddai’n coroni’r cyfan iddynt. Y canlyniad oedd caer anferth a oedd bron yn berffaith gymesur.

* From Bangor station take the bus: Ena’s 100m/110yards, routes 53/57/58 Bangor-Beaumaris-Llandonna/Penmon