Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon, United Kingdom

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Phone: +44 1286 677617

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, begun by King Edward I in 1283 on the site of an earlier 11th-century motte-and-bailey castle. Designed by Walter de Hereford and James of Saint George, the massive stone structure was conceived as the administrative centre of north Wales and deliberately evoked Caernarfon's Roman heritage through walls reminiscent of Constantinople's defences; the Roman fort of Segontium lies nearby. Built at a cost of £20,000 to £25,000 and completed around 1330, the castle and its accompanying town walls represent a grand defensive undertaking, though the interior buildings have not survived and significant portions remain unfinished. The fortress endured capture during Madog ap Llywelyn's 1294 rebellion, an unsuccessful siege in the Glyndŵr Rising (1400–1415), and three besiegements during the English Civil War—its last military engagement. Following centuries of neglect, 19th-century state-funded repairs arrested its decline. Today the castle is managed by Cadw and remains part of the World Heritage Site "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd," notable for hosting the investiture of the Prince of Wales in both 1911 and 1969.