Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey

Beaumaris Castle in southern Anglesey was the last of an ambitious series of fortifications built by Edward I across northern Wales in response to the Welsh rebellions of the late 13th century. The 1294 Madog ap Llewelyn rebellion probably triggered its construction – one that was never completed as funds ran low, and the greater threat was increasingly from the Scots. Effectively abandoned, the castle suffered only slight damage during the Civil War, leaving a fascinating insight into the development of medieval castle construction.

The castle is on flat ground by the sea edge, overlooking Snowdonia. The site allowed workers to construct Beaumaris, unusually, as a perfectly concentric square. Beaumaris Castle consists of an outer wall surrounded by a sea water moat, an inner defensive ward, then a higher inner wall that encloses the large central ward. The site is almost entirely heavy stone, but there is also a surprisingly light chapel chamber in the northern tower, which was a functioning part of the castle.