North Wales: Caernarfon

Here is the précis of this whole trip: CASTLES! Castles castles castles.

Two years ago it was Northern Ireland. Last year it was England and Scotland. This year it’s Wales, and I’ve now been to all the nations of the United Kingdom. This was also my first major trip all by my lonesome, and it was quite the success in that regard, too.

So I went to Wales for two purposes: to fulfill my spring break destiny, and to visit the castles of northern Wales, the area known as Gwynedd. I didn’t go to all of the castles there, but picked what I felt were the four most outstanding of them.

(I flew into London and took a train to Wales. If you’re near Euston Station and you’ve got some time, the British Library is about two blocks away. I went to see the Treasures, which include the Lansdowne Chaucer, a Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta, Beatles lyrics written by John Lennon, a Shakespeare quarto, the Luttrell Psalter, and many more fabulous literary works. And it’s free. I highly recommend it. I feel compelled to warn all readers that London is ridiculously expensive to be in even for a short time. A ride on the Tube in Zone 1, where most of the interesting stuff is, cost £4. The coach from central London to Luton Airport cost me £16 on Saturday morning, and if it hadn't been 2 AM I would've been irate. As it was I just got on and sat there thinking, 'It doesn't even cost that much to get from Tisovec to Bratislava.')

The castles all share a common background and some common characteristics. They were built during the reign of the English king Edward I (called Longshanks) in the 13th century and were designed by a Savoyard called James of St George. The castles built by Edward’s decree were known as the “Iron Ring” of defense against uprising by the native Welsh, which included the rebellion under the famous Owain Glyndŵr.

I knew that people in Wales speak Welsh—I teach kids this very fact, and in one Rick Steves video podcast he shows people on the streets speaking Welsh. (The first half of the video was filmed in Caernarfon, and I was totally all the places they showed. I think the guy from Cadw who talks inside the castle sold me my ticket.) But I assumed that the majority of people who used Welsh as their first language were some old people, and that everyone else would speak English. I was quite incorrect there. Gwynedd is the main Welsh-speaking region of the country, sort like the Gaeltacht in Ireland. Of course everyone speaks English as well, but I was surprised to hear teenagers speaking Welsh to each other. Welsh is not the easiest language, and I was nervous about having to pronounce names of towns to people.

When I first saw pictures of Caernarfon Castle I was quite amused. It looks as if it’s made of Legos, and clearly a castle such as a one that could be made of Legos is the archetypal castle. I chose to stay in Caernarfon for the week and travel to the other towns, most of which were only about an hour away by bus. The hostel I stayed at was around the corner from the castle and right inside the city wall. It couldn’t have been in a better location.

My first impression of Wales is this. I got off the train in Bangor on Sunday night and then had to take a bus to Caernarfon. I was hoping that the bus station/stop would be close to the train station, which it actually was, and readily apparent, which it wasn’t. I looked at a map outside the station, then looked around the station itself, but to no avail; so I decided to ask for help. A woman was waiting in front of the station with her two kids, so I showed her the bus schedule and asked if she knew where the bus would be. She, in turn, asked where I was going, and where particularly I was staying in Caernarfon, and then said, “We’re going to Caernarfon. Do you want a ride?” When her husband brought the car around they had room and told me about the town. They even dropped me off right at the hostel. Thus, I concluded that Wales rocks.

On holidays, my general M.O. is to get up and go out in the morning, be out all day, and then retire for the night. My first day I had a look around town to get the lie of the land before going in the castle (besides, it hadn’t opened yet). The night before, the Very Nice People had mentioned that there was a hill behind their house that had good views of the castle and town, and without trying hard at all I managed to locate the park. It was a small hill, this Twthill, but it did have the best views of the town, the Menai Strait, and Snowdonia.

Caernarfon may have been my favorite castle. Of course, this could just be because it was the first I visited, but I really liked the angles of the walls and towers. Inside the castle there are a few exhibitions: a video on Edward I’s castles and especially Caernarfon, an exhibit on the Princes of Wales with emphasis on the most recent investiture there, and the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum.

In 1284, Edward I’s son was born in Caernarfon. Soon after his birth, Edward II was presented to the people of Wales as their prince who could speak no word of English (say what you will about Edward I, he was not a stupid man by any means). With the birth of Edward III’s son, the Black Prince, the heir apparent to the English throne has always received the title Prince of Wales; but it wasn’t until the 20th century that the investiture ceremony took place in Wales again. David Lloyd George, one-time MP for Caernarfon and later Prime Minister, suggested that the future Edward VIII be created Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle, and in 1969 Charles was also given the title there. There is a large slate dais in the middle of one of the inner courts (it's the dark round spot in the photo above) that was the site of Charles’ ceremony, and will be where the next Prince of Wales will be invested as well.


Although Caernarfon was built as a walled city, and large portions of the wall still exist, they’re not open to walk. They do lend to the overall ambience of the town, though. Close to the castle is Hole in the Wall Street, lined with cafes and restaurants, and Castle Square, with the post office, a church, multicolored shops, and a statue of Lloyd George. In this photo, Hole in the Wall Street is on the opposite side of the wall; Castle Square is in the foreground; and Twthill is in the top right corner.

I had takeaway from a fish and chip shop for dinner: a steak and kidney pie, chips, and mushy peas. Was it my best Valentine's Day ever? It may well have been.