Beaumaris Castle
| Beaumaris Castle | |
|---|---|
| Part of Anglesey, Gwynedd | |
| Beaumaris, Wales | |
 The castle moat |
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 Location in Anglesey
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| Type | Concentric castle |
| Coordinates | 53°15′53″N 4°05′23″W / 53.2648°N 4.0897°WCoordinates: 53°15′53″N 4°05′23″W / 53.2648°N 4.0897°W |
| Built by | James of St. George |
| Construction materials |
Gritstone |
| Current condition |
Semi-ruinous |
| Controlled by | Cadw |
Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed. Beaumaris is part of the World Heritage site known as Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.
Beaumaris Castle was positioned to face the royal llys at Abergwyngregyn on the opposite shore of the Menai Strait and was intended, along with Conwy Castle and Caernarfon Castle at either end of the Menai Strait, to overshadow the Welsh Royal home and centre of resistance to the English forces. Its constable from 1509 to 1535 was Sir Roland de Velville, a reputed son of King Henry VII of England.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Construction
Beaumaris derives from the Anglo-Norman Beau Mareys meaning "beautiful marsh".[2] English rule in Wales was established after King Edward I of England conquered the country. Provisions for the governance of Wales were set out in the Statute of Rhuddlan, enacted on 3 March 1284. It was divided into counties and shires, emulating how England was governed. The island of Anglesey constituted its own county. The new castles of Harlech and Caernarfon became administrative centres,[3] and the latter was effectively the capital of north Wales.[4] While the decision to build Beaumaris Castle may have been taken early, 1283 has been suggested, building resources at the time were almost at full capacity, with the foundation of Harlech, Caernarfon, and Conwy, and repairs at a number of other castles, all funded by Edward I.[3]
The site chosen for Anglesey's castle was about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town of Llanfaes. As well as being the island's main trading port, Llanfaes was the wealthiest borough in Wales and largest in terms of population. The important town was roughly midway between Conwy and Caernarfon. The intention was to build a walled town adjacent to Beaumaris Castle, so to allow it to prosper the inhabitants of Llanfaer were moved some 12 miles (19 km) southwest, where a settlement by the name of Newborough was created. In the autumn of 1294 the Welsh rebelled against English rule. Edward I defeated the Welsh in the ensuing campaign, and after the rebellion had been suppressed he began work on Beaumaris Castle. With Conwy and Harlech complete by the end of the 1280s, and Caernarfon well under way, resources could be directed to building Beaumaris.[5]
Beaumaris Castle was the last of Edward the I's fortresses in North Wales. Work started in 1295 and continued for 35 years, with over 3,500 workmen employed at the peak of construction. Finances and material ran out when King Edward turned his attentions towards Scotland, and the castle was not completed, although an impressive £15,000 was expended on its construction.
Renowned designer Master James of Saint George, responsible for the construction of Beaumaris, explained the cost:
In case you should wonder where so much money could go in a week, we would have you know that we have needed – and shall continue to need 400 masons, both cutters and layers, together with 2,000 less skilled workmen, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats bringing stone and sea coal; 200 quarrymen; 30 smiths; and carpenters for putting in the joists and floor boards and other necessary jobs. All this takes no account of the garrison ... nor of purchases of material. Of which there will have to be a great quantity ... The men's pay has been and still is very much in arrears, and we are having the greatest difficulty in keeping them because they have simply nothing to live on.[6]
The King's architect, Master James of St. George, brought all his experience to bear in designing Beaumaris – its defences and lines of supply are superbly planned. It was constructed according to a concentric plan – the inner ward is completely surrounded by the outer ward. The castle has a tidal dock allowing it to be supplied directly by sea and is surrounded by a water-filled moat. The defences include numerous ingeniously sited arrow slits, and the entrances are protected by murder holes from which substances such as hot oil could be poured over enemy forces. Attackers of Beaumaris Castle would have met 14 separate obstacles and four lines of fortification resulting from the 'walls within walls' design.
The plan of the castle is nearly square, sharing much in common with Caerphilly and Harlech. The inner ward is rectangular with a round tower at each corner. On the north and south sides are massive gatehouses following the typical pattern of two D-shaped towers flanking the gate passage, while two more D-shaped towers defend the east and west walls. The great hall and other domestic buildings would have been constructed within this inner ward.
Surrounding the inner bailey (in accordance with the concentric ideal) is an outer wall defended by towers and its own two gatehouses. These are not aligned with the inner gatehouses and would have denied attackers the advantage of a straight path through the gates. The dock wall extends from the south wall near the gatehouse so also serves as a defensive firing platform. Unlike the simple outer walls at Caerphilly and Harlech, the walls here are very thick and have internal passages to allow defenders access to protected arrow slits.
The plan was nearly perfect, but the castle was never completed. The Welsh conquest was practically complete at the time of construction, and the immense cost of completing such a massive fortress would have drained funds needed for the Scottish campaigns. Neither the towers of the inner ward nor the great gatehouses were built to full height and many buildings of the inner ward were left unfinished when large scale work ceased in 1298. Small-scale work was carried out in the early 14th century. However, the outer walls were crenelated, and unlike many other castles Beaumaris did not suffer slighting during the Civil War – the extant castle is very well-preserved.
[edit] Present day
The castle is managed by Cadw, (the Welsh Assembly Government's agency for historic monuments). The castle has an exhibition, gifts shop, disabled access and picnic facilities. It is also part of the World Heritage Site entitled Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Sir Roland de Velville
- ^ Taylor 2004, p. 3
- ^ a b Taylor 2004, p. 5
- ^ Taylor 1997, p. 19
- ^ Taylor 2004, pp. 5–6
- ^ McNeill 1992, p. 43
- Bibliography
- McNeill, Tom (1992), English Heritage Book of Castles, London: English Heritage and B. T. Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-7025-9
- Taylor, Arnold (1997) [1953], Caernarfon Castle and Town Walls (4th ed.), Cardiff: Cadw – Welsh Historic Monuments, ISBN 1-85760-042-8
- Taylor, Arnold (2004) [1980], Beaumaris Castle (5th ed.), Cardiff: Cadw – Welsh Historic Monuments, ISBN 1-85760-208-0
[edit] Further reading
- Williams, Diane, ed. (2009), The Impact of the Edwardian Castles in Wales, Oxbow Books, ISBN 978-1842173800
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beaumaris Castle |
- Official Cadw website
- Bibliography of sources related to Beaumaris Castle
- Beaumaris Castle history and photographs
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Beaumaris Castle
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