Caernarfon

Updated: Apr 24, 2022

Mediaeval castle and the longest toponym - Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd 374

What and Why

Gwynedd occupied the current northern part of Wales, and was a kingdom by itself from the 5th till the 11th century CE, when it was conquered by England. The Kingdom of Gwynedd, partly a successor state to the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum), built a number of fortified castles around the area of Caernarfon and Conwy. These castles are very well constructed and preserved and present themselves as fine examples of fortress in the Middle Age.

These fortifications were built by Edward I (né Edward Plantagenet) after his invasion of North Wales in 1282 CE. They feature extensive use of concentric defences, barbicans and substantial gatehouses which won world-wide acclaim.

Toponymy

There is no agreed etymological meaning of Gwynedd and it is generally accepted that it means 'a collection of tribes' in Old Celt. Caernarfon derives its name its Welsh form 'y gaer yn Arfon', meaning 'the stronghold in the land over against Môn': Môn is the Welsh name for Anglesey. Caernarfon is now anglicised to Carnarvon.

See

Caernarfon Castle

The Caernarfon Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until late 13th centure CE when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure. The castle was besieged and survived at least two independent revolt: the Madog ap Llywelyn in the last 13th century CE and the last Welsh independence movement Glyndŵr Rising in the early 15th century CE.

Caernafon castle site plan (from internet)

In 1911 CE, Caernarfon was first used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales when Prince Edward, later Edward VIII (né Edward Windsor), eldest son of the newly crowned King George V (né George Windsor); and in 1969 CE, the precedence was repeated with the investiture of Prince Charles (né Charles Mountbatten-Windsor). It is now a fine museum and perhaps a better place for hide-and-seek as the castle is itself a joy to explore around. The entire castle is inter-connected and some of the towers have very steep stairways.

Caernarfon Castle's design was partly influenced by a desire to symbolise the new English rule in Wales, and hence strength and fortitude is the theme of the architecture. There are altogether ten towers around the castle surrounding the inner bailey, with the Eagle Tower being the tallest.

My Iraqi friend in front of the flag that shows his country being conquered.

Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, during the late 13th century CE. Conwy is around 30 km away from Caernarfon.

It is often considered that Conwy to be one of the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe. It is also one of the best preserved.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

The longest station name and I bet no one would be able to pronounce this in one breath, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch means what the picture spells out in Welsh and is the second longest place in the world. The 'honour' of the first is the 85-letter Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu in Māori language in New Zealand. The town is around 10 km away from Gwynedd and other than this name, this little town is very uninteresting and I bet the only reason why people come to this station is to read this name, including myself.

Buy and Do

Caernarfon is probably the best place to see, hear and speak the Welsh language. Over 80% of the population speak Welsh, and it is practised commonly amongst the locals.

Getting There and Around

The A55 road from Chester to Caernarfon is a very scenic drive. The two castles will give you a full-day of mediaeval fantasy. The area is also served by the National Rail. The entry fee to the castle is GBP £6.75.