Caernarfon Castle Facts & Worksheets

• Caernarfon Castle was heavily fortified. The eastern, southern and western towers and curtain walls were in place by 1292. Work on the northern towers and curtain wall began in 1295.
• The castle ultimately had two entrances, the King’s Gate and the Queen’s Gate. Although never completely finished, both of these entrances were heavily guarded, making it extremely difficult for an enemy force to gain entrance to the castle.
• Caernarfon Castle was also designed to be a residence. Edward I is known to have stayed there on a number of occasions. Many of the towers contained accommodation, with bedrooms having their own private chapels. This is evidence that the occupants of the living quarters were of high status. The castle also had an impressive great hall.

People and important events connected to the castle

• James St George has been described as one of the greatest architects of the middle ages. He was appointed as Master of the Royal Works in Wales by Edward I, who gave him the responsibility for designing the castles which made up the iron ring of castles in North Wales.
• When designing Caernarfon Castle, James St George needed to work around the existing Norman motte-and-bailey castle, which had stood on the site since the 11th century. 
• The priority of the first stage of building was to make a defendable fortress, with the impressive and symbolic architectural features to be added later.
• In 1294, Madog ap Llywelyn led a revolt against Edward I’s rule. Caernarfon Castle’s strategic importance and the fact that it was a symbol of English power made it a target for the rebels. 
• At the time of the rebellion, the northern curtain wall had not been completed. 
• Once the rebels had broken through the town walls, they only faced a ditch and barricade, which they easily overcame, allowing them to take the castle. 
• When the castle was retaken by the English the following year, orders were given for a rapid rebuilding of the town walls and the completion of the castle walls.
• Walter of Hereford became the master mason for the construction phase following the rebellion. He was occupied with the Scottish wars, hence construction halted and only resumed in 1304.
• Henry of Ellerton took over the position of master mason in 1309. Building continued steadily until 1330.
• Caernarfon Castle and its town walls represented an enormous expenditure, dwarfing the costs of other impressive fortifications from the late 12th and early 13th centuries.
• Despite the massive expenses, subsequent additions to the castle were minor, and a significant portion of the original plans was never completed.
• For approximately two centuries following the Edwardian conquest of Wales, the governance structures established by Edward I remained in effect. 
• Throughout this period, Caernarfon Castle was continuously garrisoned, establishing Caernarfon as the capital of north Wales.
• However, this era was marked by discrimination, as the most significant administrative positions in Wales were generally inaccessible to the Welsh. 
• Tensions escalated, culminating in the Glyndŵr Rebellion (1400–15) at the start of the 15th century.
• Caernarfon, being a strategic location, became a target for Owain Glyndŵr’s forces during the revolt. The town and castle were besieged in 1401.
• The Battle of Tuthill took place nearby in November 1401, fought between the castle’s defenders and the besieging army.
• Welsh forces, supported by French troops, besieged Caernarfon again in 1403 and 1404, when the garrison consisted of only about 30 men.
• The rise of the Tudor dynasty to the English throne in 1485 marked a shift in the governance of Wales. The Tudors, being of Welsh descent, mitigated the tensions between the Welsh and English. 
• Consequently, the significance of castles like Caernarfon, which had served as vital administrative hubs, diminished. These fortifications fell into disrepair, with a report from 1538 noting that numerous Welsh castles were “moche ruynous and ferre in decaye for lakke of tymely reparations”.
• By the 17th century, whilst Caernarfon Castle’s defences, such as the walls of the town and castle, remained in good condition; many other features were in a state of decay. 
• Only the Eagle Tower and the King’s Gate had roofs, out of the castle’s seven towers and two gatehouses.
• The domestic buildings within the castle had been stripped of valuables like glass and iron.
• Despite the poor state of the domestic buildings, the castle’s defences were strong enough for it to be garrisoned by Royalists during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century. 
• The castle was besieged three times during the war. Its constable, John Byron, 1st Baron Byron, surrendered Caernarfon to Parliamentarian forces in 1646, marking the last time the castle saw fighting. 
• Following the war, in 1660, an order was given for the dismantling of the castle and town walls, but the work was quickly aborted and may not have even begun.
• Despite avoiding slighting, Caernarfon Castle fell into neglect until the late 19th century. Starting in the 1870s, the government began funding repairs.
• Deputy-constable Llewellyn Turner oversaw the work, often controversially restoring and rebuilding the castle rather than simply conserving the existing stonework.
• Post-medieval buildings spoiling the view were cleared from the northern moat, despite local protests.
• Since 1908, the castle has been preserved under the auspices of the Office of Works and its successors due to its historic significance.
• The castle has served as a key site for the investiture of the Prince of Wales:
  • 1911: Used for the investiture of Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, at the insistence of Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George, a Welshman from Caernarfonshire.
  • 1969: Used again for the Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, who was crowned Charles III in 2022.
• Caernarfon Castle was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1986 as part of the “Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd”, recognising its global importance and aiding its protection. It remains the property of the Crown but is currently managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment division. The castle is now a major tourist attraction, visited by over 155,000 people in 2024–25.