Tag: Welsh Castles

Categories
Military History

Intermission 22b Winter Castle

Harlech Castle is located high above the seashore overlooking Cardigan Bay or Bae Ceredigion.

The imposing remains of Harlech Castle built fast by the English. One of a string of castles in North Wales simply to impose English rule.

With a square footprint and large round corner towers it is just how a child might imagine a castle. The simplicity of its lines ring true.

Lucky for us the post English Civil War orders that saw many a fine castle “slighted”, to prevent their use by Royalists, failed at Harlech. So it is a complete castle with only parts of the interior buildings robbed out or demolished.

The gatehouse is a key feature that has survived
The gatehouse was all about protecting the key weakness of a castle – its main entrance.
Although narrow this entrance was the easiest way to enter the castle unless measures were in place to prevent access. Here portcullis would have been lowered from within the large gatehouse to block any entry.
This cutaway model shows how narrow the entrance actually was in relation to the gatehouse surrounding it. You can just see the lowered gates (in black).
Nice to see firearms on show in the medieval context
Life of this castle – 1295 to 1646 – a period of almost continuous war across the British Isles. Also a neat dated range of weaponry on show in the castle showroom entrance
The view northwards across the estuary to the Lleyn peninusla
Looking south Harlech Castle was built in a commanding location