CONWY CASTLE

Our first stop this morning (there will be three major excursions today) is Conwy Castle.  If anyone tells you that a castle is a castle is a castle...well, maybe not.  Personally, I was quite taken with Conwy Castle.

We're in North Wales again today, tucked up very close to the sea.  Not much stands between us and the Arctic Circle except the distant Faeroe Islands.  Conwy Castle was built by King Edward I who, in the late 1200's, conquered Wales.  He cleared away the existing Cistercian Monastery, and built this huge castle as a not-so-subtle reminder to the Welsh people that he was a powerful man indeed.  Per Wikipedia, the laborers who built this castle (recruited throughout England) worked on it only in the summer.  Considering the wind-chill in northern Wales in the middle of winter, that was an uncommon kindness.

Edward had only been at the castle a few years before Madog ap Llywelyn rebelled against English rule in Wales. Peter (our leader) described in some detail the months-long assault on the castle in the middle of winter--including Christmas of 1295.  Legend has it that even though times were terrible (obviously), Edward shared his private supply of wine among those living at, and fighting for the castle.  Now, there is an officer and a gentleman.

 

I'm assuming the wine story alone may account for the reverence with which Edward is regarded at this castle.  I was mightily impressed with this sculpture of the head of Edward I.  It's (accurately) described as a "ghostly presence".  Considering I had walked by it and under it without ever noticing it, I'd have to agree.

Even though there appear to be fireplaces galore--one actually lit with a digital image of a fire--I'm sure it was cold and damp and grey and frightful during the rebellion.  And dark.  At that latitude, the sum rises late and sets too  early.  I can't imagine the isolation.

We climbed a relatively short, but narrow and steep circular staircase to visit Edward's chapel which, I would maintain, was an oft-used refuge.  It you consider the powerlessness of an English King, far from home, under seige from Madog ap Llywelyn (the hometown hero) in the dead of winter...prayers are pretty much the only thing you've got going..

I'm always struck, when outside the United States, at the lack of accessibility for those in wheelchairs or using crutches.  At the same time, I'm horrified by the lack of protective barriers, railings, modifications and etc., that just don't exist; even when we old people are climbing around ancient castles. Yes, the Welsh are hardy, but so are the English and the French as evidenced by the sheer terror I often feel while exploring their sites.  I suppose, if one has to go, one might as well be wiped out in a horrific fall from the ramparts of a castle during a magnificent trip to Wales.

It appears that Conwy Castle figured in the history books for some centuries.  It has been saved from time to time, then lost again.  Hard fought battles brought it back into play, but neglect and harsh weather did its damage.  Finally, over the last 200 years, Conwy Castle has been regularly repaired and maintained, and today, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hosts 200,000 or so tourists each year.

I don't know if it's my favorite castle, but I highly recommend it.  Bring a jacket, umbrella, and sturdy, but comfortable shoes.