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Caernarfon Castle. Photo by Gary Beale-

Top 10 facts about Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle is one of the top attraction sites in the North Whales. It was a Motte-and-Bailey castle from the Welsh government until 1283, when King Edward I began to replace it with the current stone structure.

The building work cost 22,000 Euros. The massive castle was built and completed within five years. Impressive, right?

The Caernarfon castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site making it a beautiful destination to travel with your family for a day out.

Here are the most interesting facts about the castle.

1. An Unusual Design

Caernarfon Castle. Photo by Mervyn Hughes-

The castle has an hourglass-like design making it unique compared to other castles in the region. The castle walls narrow into each other, forming two symmetrical courtyards.

Caernarfon Castle is aligned along with the town’s bay. The castle walls extend to the bay covering the castle and enfolding the whole area. The enfolding provides security for the entire region. There are only two gatehouses to use when entering the castle through the wall.

2. The mightiest of Edward’s I Iron Ring

Edward, I of England was very determined to take over Independent wales. In 1282 he finally conquered and ruled over the last prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

After taking over Wale, Edward I designated his power by taking various Welsh castles for his use. He restored the old castle and built new ones. The new castles he built were Harlech and Caernarfon.

Caernarfon Castle turned out to be the mightiest hence being termed as ” Iron Ring” he was very ambitious about the project, making it the biggest and best Medieval Building Project.

3. Caernarfon Castle had Mighty Gatehouses.

Photo by Richard Clark on

 The castle had two mighty gatehouses, the King’s and Queen’s gates. The King’s gate faced the town while the Queen’s gate faced seaward, and it was the smaller. The Queen’s gate was used for off-loading supplies from ships, so it was not finished.

The King’s gate was built with holes and slots to pour boiling oil and water over people trying to trespass and shoot arrows. The King’s gate contained more than four doors and five different portcullises to traverse.

4. Caernarfon Castle was expensive to build

The cost of building the castle was highly phenomenal; Edward I spent a large amount of money, with an estimated expenditure being 22,000 Euros, exceeding the taxes he would collect in one year.

Building material like timber was being shipped from Liverpool and Anglesey. Laborers were even coming from far as London. There were hundreds of tradesmen and craftsmen working on the castle.

During the 1200s, the building took a long time to finish; It was incredibly massive and technical. Surprisingly y, the Caernarfon Castle was completed in five years. This makes it remain impressive.

5. Overcome by Welsh Rebels

The Welsh rebels were dissatisfied with the English rule of Edward I. There were constant attacks at the castle by Welsh, whose aim was to defeat Edward I and burnish him off from Wales. The continuous attack explains why the King’s gate was built with holes and slots.

The 1294 Edward the welsh rebel caught me off guard. The rebels managed to destroy many of the Caernarfon walls and managed to occupy the castle. The insurgents were led by Madog ap Llewlyn.

Edward, I was brave, and he quickly mustered the rebels and went back to take back his throne. In 1295 he reclaimed Caernarfon and rebuilt the many destroyed walls. He later punished the Welsh rebels.

6. A Museum Castle

Royal_Welch_Fusiliers_Museum. Photo by Nilfanion-

The castle has become a unique historic site that attracts thousands of tourists. It has become suitable for hosting exhibitions, events, and a museum. There are so many rooms, towers winding through the castle, and paths tourists can explore.

The Museum of Royal Welsh Fusilier is found on the Queen’s towers which exhibits the long history of the Welch Fusiliers uniform, medals, memorabilia on display, guns, and regiment.

The Chamberlain tower holds an exhibition of the throne and paraphernalia from the investiture of Prince Charles of wales, while at the Eagle tower, there is an interactive history of the castle.

7. The Dominating Octagonal Towers

Photo by James Petts on

The Caernarfon Castle has 12 magnificent octagonal towers making it more appealing and attractive. It’s believed the design was chosen to evoke Constantinople, with some of the towers being built with multicolored stones.

The towers were hard to build, and their style differs from the castles. The Eagle tower measures 10 meters across at the base. When tourists visit, they are attracted to explore and learn more about the buildings.

8. The Prince of Wales Coronation

The United Kingdom still has a prince of Wales, namely Prince Charles. The coronation of Prince Charles took place at the castle. The coronation is a ceremony that gives the prince his official title. The coronation took place in 1969.

The Edward VIII coronation also took place at the castle in 1911. People are anticipating Prince William’s coronation will happen in the castle too.

9. Birthplace of the first Prince of Wales

The birth of Edward I son took place in the castle in 1284. This gave Edward a perfect opportunity to create a story to his advantage since Welsh people didn’t like English dominance.

The child was referred to as Edward of Caernarfon and was legitimately a Welshman. In 1301 the son was crowned Prince of Wales, but he could not speak English. He became King in 1301, and his ruling was destructive, making his wife Isabella overthrow him.

10. Caernarfon was enshrined in Roman myth

Ancient myths surrounded Caernarfon. The Roman legend of Macsen Wledig is believed to have dreamt of The Roman Emperor traveling to a land where he was greeted with a magnificent multicolored castle.

He later sent messengers to scour the globe to find this place which was Caernarfon. This made Edward I have the illusion of grandeur and anticipate building his chief Welsh resident on the same spot.