Harlech (castle)

Harlech is one of the castles built by King Edward I in order to strengthen English influence in Wales . The castle stands by the sea, high on a rocky cliff. On one side he was protected by a rock, and on the other a deep moat. The name of the architect is known - James from Saint George . He personally supervised the construction work, which lasted seven years from 1283 to 1290 .

Harlech withstood the siege of Madog ap Llewelyn between 1294-95, and also played a key role in the last major Welsh rebellion, led by Owain Glindur . In 1404, after a long siege, Glindur captured the castle, and for five years Harlech turned into his personal residence and the main headquarters of the rebels. In 1409, British troops led by the Prince of Wales (the future king Henry V ) recaptured the castle. Owain Glindur managed to escape, but his whole family was captured. The fall of Harlech was, in effect, the beginning of the end of the Welsh rebellion. During the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, Harlech was held by the Lancasteres for seven years before the York forces forced him to surrender in 1468. This siege is immortalized in the song " Harlech people ". In the mid- 17th century , during the English Revolution , Harlech was the last stronghold of the royalists. The capture of the castle by parliament supporters marked the end of the war. The castle is currently owned by the Wales Historical Preservation Service .

The castle has a concentric structure , with two lines of protection, consisting of an internal and external wall. Initially, the outer wall was slightly higher than today. Harlech is built from local gray-green sandstone used for towers and walls. A softer, yellow sandstone is used for various decorative finishes of the castle, probably mined around Egrin Abbey near Barmouth .

• List of Wales Castles

• The official site of the castle
• Castlewales.com castle article
• Castle Photos on Flickr.com
• History and architecture of Harleck castle (Russian)