Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle | |
---|---|
Castell Harlech | |
Harlech, Wales | |
Coordinates | 52°52′N 4°07′W / 52.86°N 4.11°W |
Type | Concentric castle |
Site information | |
Owner | Cadw |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Ruined |
Site history | |
Materials | Sandstone |
Events | Revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–95) Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr (1400–09) Wars of the Roses (1460–68) English Civil War (1642–47) |
Part of | Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd |
Criteria | Cultural: i, iii, iv |
Reference | 374 |
Inscription | 1986 (10th Session) |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
Official name | Harlech Castle[1] |
Designated | 21 June 2001[1] |
Reference no. | 25500[1] |
Harlech Castle (
UNESCO considers Harlech, with three others at Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon, to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe", and it is classed as a World Heritage Site.[3] The fortification is built of local stone and concentric in design, featuring a massive gatehouse that probably once provided high-status accommodation for the castle constable and visiting dignitaries. The sea originally came much closer to Harlech than in modern times, and a water-gate and a long flight of steps leads down from the castle to the former shore, which allowed the castle to be resupplied by sea during sieges. In keeping with Edward's other castles in the north of Wales, the architecture of Harlech has close links to that found in the County of Savoy during the same period, an influence probably derived from the Savoy origins of the main architect, James of Saint George.
History
13th–14th centuries
In local mythology, the site of Harlech Castle in
Edward ordered the construction of a castle at Harlech, one of seven built across North Wales in the wake of the 1282 campaign.[4] Money to pay for the initial phase arrived in mid-May and carpenters and 35 stonemasons were dispatched in June and July to commence work.[8] By the winter of 1283, the first 15 feet (4.6 m) of the inner walls had been constructed, allowing the castle to be defended in the event of an attack, and a small, planned town had been founded alongside the castle.[9] John de Bonvillars was appointed the constable of the castle in 1285; after his death in 1287 his wife, Agnes, took up the role until 1290.[10]
Construction continued under the overall direction of James of Saint George, a Savoy architect and military engineer.[11] In 1286, at the height of the construction, the workforce comprised 546 general labourers, 115 quarriers, 30 blacksmiths, 22 carpenters and 227 stonemasons, and the project was costing nearly £240 a month.[12] The castle was essentially complete by the end of 1289, having cost an estimated £8,190, around 10 percent of the £80,000 that Edward spent on castle-building in Wales between 1277 and 1304.[13][nb 1]
Harlech was established with a garrison of 36 men: a constable, 30 men, including 10 crossbowmen, a chaplain, a smith, carpenter and stonemason, and Master James was rewarded by being made the constable of Harlech from 1290 to 1293.
15th–17th centuries
In 1400 a revolt broke out in North Wales against English rule, led by
In the 15th century, Harlech was involved in the series of civil wars now known as the
The
18th–21st centuries
In the late-18th and 19th centuries, the picturesque ruins of Harlech began to attract visits from prominent artists, including John Cotman, Henry Gastineau, Paul Sandby, J. M. W. Turner and John Varley.[32] In 1914 it was transferred from the Merioneth Crown Estate to the control of the Office of Works, who commenced a major restoration project after the end of World War I.[33] In 1969 the castle was transferred to the Welsh Office and then to Cadw, who manage the property in the 21st century as a tourist attraction.[33] Harlech was declared part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site in 1986, UNESCO considering Harlech one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe".[34]
Architecture
Harlech Castle rests upon part of the Harlech Dome, a spur of rock almost 200 feet (61 m) high; the land falls away sharply on the north and west, and a ditch cut into the rock protects the remaining approaches to the castle.[35] The castle has a concentric design, with one line of defences enclosed by another, forming an inner and outer ward; the outer wall was originally somewhat taller than today.[36] Harlech is built from local grey-green sandstone, with large, regular blocks used for the towers and irregular material, possibly taken from the ditch, used for the walls.[31] A softer yellow sandstone is used for the decorative work in the castle, possibly quarried from around Egryn Abbey near Barmouth.[31]
The main entrance to the castle would have involved crossing a stone bridge between the two easterly ditch bridge towers and the main gatehouse; little remains of the bridge towers today and a timber entrance way to the gatehouse replaces the bridge.[37] A water gate overlooks a protected stairway of 127 steps that runs down to the foot of the cliffs.[38] In the 13th century, the sea came up close to the stairway, allowing resupply by sea, but today the sea has retreated significantly, making it more difficult to envisage the concept in its original setting.[35]
The gatehouse follows the design, sometimes termed the Tonbridge-style, that became popular during the 13th century, with two massive "D-shaped" defensive towers flanking the entrance.[39] The passage into the castle was guarded by three portcullises and at least two heavy doors.[10] The gatehouse has two upper floors, broken up into various rooms.[40] Each floor has three large windows overlooking the inner ward; the second floor has two additional grand windows on the sides of the gatehouse; the gatehouse was fitted with fireplaces and would originally have had prominent chimneys.[41] The use of these rooms has been the subject of academic debate: historian Arnold Taylor argued that the first floor of the gatehouse was used by the constable as living accommodation, with the second floor used by senior visitors; Jeremy Ashbee has since challenged this interpretation, suggesting the high status accommodation may instead have been in the inner ward, and the gatehouse used for other purposes.[42]
The inner ward is guarded by four large circular towers. Over time these acquired various names: in 1343, clockwise from the north-east, they were called Le Prisontour, Turris Ultra Gardinium, Le Wedercoktour and Le Chapeltour, but by 1564 they had been renamed the Debtors', Mortimer, Bronwen and Armourer's Towers respectively.[43] Le Prisontour incorporated a dungeon and the Le Chapeltour may have contained an artillery workshop in the 16th century.[44] Several ranges of buildings were built around the inner ward, including a chapel, kitchen, service buildings, a granary and a great hall.[45] The battlements may originally have been built with triple finials in a similar fashion to Conwy, although little remains of these in the modern era.[46]
The architecture of Harlech has close links to that found in the
Gallery
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View from the northwest cliff
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Aerial view of the castle and the village of Harlech
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View overlooking the walls
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View over mountains
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View from the street upon arrival
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The equestrian sculpture of the Two Kings
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View from the A496 road
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Ramparts and interior courtyard, featuring the Grand hall
See also
Notes
References
- ^ National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Harlech Castle". cadw.gov.wales. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 5
- ^ Ashbee 2007, p. 5; Taylor 2008, pp. 6–7
- ^ Ashbee 2007, p. 6
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 5–6
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 6
- ^ Lilley 2010, pp. 100–104; Taylor 2007, p. 7
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 21
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 7
- ^ Morris 2004, p. 117; Taylor 2007, p. 7
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 8; Taylor 1974, p. 1029; McNeill 1992, pp. 42–43
- ^ Pounds 1994, p. 147
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 7–8
- ^ a b c Taylor 2007, p. 9
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 8
- ^ a b c Taylor 2007, p. 10
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 10; Liddiard 2005, p. 82
- ^ Davies 1995, p. 115f
- ^ Gravett 2007, pp. 55–56
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 10; Gravett 2007, p. 56
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 11
- ^ a b Hicks 2012, p. 179
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 11; Goodall 2011, pp. 367–368
- ^ Cannon 1997, p. 454; Taylor 2007, p. 11
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 11–12
- ^ Hutton 1999, pp. 136–137
- ^ a b c Taylor 2007, p. 13
- ^ Thompson 1994, p. 155; Taylor 2007, p. 13
- ^ a b c Lott 2010, p. 116
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 13–14
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 14
- ^ "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 July 2012.; Taylor 2007, p. 14
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 17
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 17–18
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 18
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 17, 31
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 18; Goodall 2011, p. 217
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 25
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 23
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 25; Ashbee 2010, pp. 80–81
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 27
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 27–28
- ^ Taylor 2007, pp. 28–30
- ^ a b Taylor 2007, p. 29
- ^ Coldstream 2010, pp. 39–40
- ^ a b Coldstream 2010, p. 43
Bibliography
- Ashbee, Jeremy A. (2007). Conwy Castle. Cardiff, UK: Cadw. ISBN 978-1-85760-259-3.
- Ashbee, Jeremy A. (2010). "The King's Accommodation at his Castles". In Williams, Diane; Kenyon, John (eds.). The Impact of Edwardian Castles in Wales. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books. pp. 72–84. ISBN 978-1-84217-380-0.
- Cannon, John (1997). The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866176-4.
- Coldstream, Nicola (2010). "James of St George". In Williams, Diane; Kenyon, John (eds.). The Impact of Edwardian Castles in Wales. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books. pp. 37–45. ISBN 978-1-84217-380-0.
- Davies, R. R. (1995). The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-820508-1.
- ISBN 978-0-300-11058-6.
- Gravett, Christopher (2007). The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277–1307. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-027-7.
- Hicks, Michael (2012). The Wars of the Roses. New Haven, US and London, UK: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-18157-9.
- Hutton, Ronald (1999). The Royalist War Effort 1642–1646 (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-00612-2.
- Liddiard, Robert (2005). Castles in Context: Power, Symbolism and Landscape, 1066 to 1500. Macclesfield, UK: Windgather Press Ltd. ISBN 0-9545575-2-2.
- Lilley, Keith D. (2010). "The Landscapes of Edward's New Towns: Their Planning and Design". In Williams, Diane; Kenyon, John (eds.). The Impact of Edwardian Castles in Wales. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books. pp. 99–113. ISBN 978-1-84217-380-0.
- Lott, Graham (2010). "The Building Stones of the Edwardian Castles". In Williams, Diane; Kenyon, John (eds.). The Impact of Edwardian Castles in Wales. Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books. pp. 114–120. ISBN 978-1-84217-380-0.
- McNeill, Tom (1992). English Heritage Book of Castles. London, UK: English Heritage and B. T. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-7025-9.
- Morris, Marc (2004) [2003]. Castle: A History of the Buildings that Shaped Medieval Britain. London, UK: Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-43246-X.
- Phillips, Alan (1961). Harlech Castle Official Guidebook. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO).
- Pounds, N. J. G. (1994). The Medieval Castle in England and Wales: A Social and Political History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45099-7.
- ISBN 0-11-670556-6.
- Taylor, Arnold (2007). Harlech Castle. Cardiff, UK: Cadw. ISBN 978-1-85760-257-9.
- Taylor, Arnold (2008). Caernarfon Castle and Town Walls. Cardiff, UK: Cadw. ISBN 978-1-85760-209-8.
- Thompson, M. W. (1994). The Decline of the Castle. Leicester, UK: Magna Books. ISBN 978-1-85422-608-2.
External links
- Official Cadw page for Harlech Castle Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine