The Town Walls of Conwy
The Town Walls of Conwy
By Stephen Francis Wyley
Photographs by Graeme Walker
Edward I's Welsh castles are quite unique because of a number of factors; the concentric design, the money it too long to build them and finally that they became obsolete not long after they were built and they never saw a real siege.
The are many books are castles which feature the Welsh castles of Edward I but few that feature the contemporary town defences. With the aid of Graeme Walker's pictures I hope to remedy that situation.
Stephen Francis Wyley
25th August 2000.
Background Information.
From R. Allen Brown's, Castles A History and Guide (p.136).
"Conway
Location: Conway (Gwyedd) (Wales), 13 miles (21km) north-east of Bangor on the A55.
Description: Late 13th-century castle similar in overall plan to Caernarvon, with a series of mural drum-towers. The walled town is contempory with the castle (as at Caernarvon) and it also stands upon tidal waters so that it might be supplied and , if necessary relieved by sea.
Opening hours: SH, SM.
History: The castle was built with remarkable speed between 1283 and 1287. Edward I found himself stranded here in 1294 and cut off from the main army by an exceptionally full river. Later in 1399 Richard II visited the castle and there received Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, as Bolingbroke's ambassador and accepted from him a false promise of safe conduct to meet Bolingbroke which resulted in ambush, imprisonment and the king's death within a year. During the Civil War, John Williams, Archbishop of York repaired the castle at his own expense (which had been described in 1608 as `utterly decayed') but in spite of this it was taken without much difficulty in 1646 by the Cromwellian army under Major-General Mytton."
Figure Index.
Figure 1. Looking west to tower 13, the highest. Upper Gate just lower, to the left.
Figure 2. The south wall looking west, towers 21 to 18, including the Mill Gate.
Figure 3. Looking west to the west wall, towers 9 to 7.
Figure 4. The river wall, looking north west to its junction with the west wall.
Figure 5. The west wall, looking north from Upper Gate, near tower 13.
Figure 6. Looking east, past Upper Gate, along the south wall to the castle.
Figure 7. Looking north east, along the west wall, from tower 13.
Figure 8. Looking north east, along the west wall, from outside tower 13.
Figure1. Looking west to tower 13, the highest. Upper Gate just lower, to the left.
Figure 2. The south wall looking west, towers 21 to 18, including the Mill Gate.
Figure 3. Looking west to the west wall, towers 9 to 7.
Figure 4. The river wall, looking north west to its junction with the west wall.
Figure 5. The west wall, looking north from Upper Gate, near tower 13.
Figure 6. Looking east, past Upper Gate, along the south wall to the castle.
Figure 7. Looking north east, along the west wall, from tower 13.
Figure 8. Looking north east, along the west wall, from outside tower 13.
Figure 9. Exterior of Mill Gate, in the southern wall.
Reference.
Allen Brown, R., Castles A History and Guide, U.K., 1980
Links.
Conwy Castle Ground Plan [dead link 8 Sep 2020]
Conwy's Town Walls [dead link 8 Sep 2020]
Site O is a group of people from around the world that share an interest in fortifications and artillery. Some are authors on the subject, some are connected with Universities and teach it and others are simply fascinated with it.
Other web pages on fortifications by the Author.
A Dictionary of Military Architecture
Bibliography of Military Architecture
Drawings of Aspects of Military Architecture
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
More Pictures of the Theodosian Land Walls
Siege Warfare, The Art of Offence and Defence