Criccieth Castle
Encyclopedia
Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh
castle
situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth
, Gwynedd
, in North Wales
, on a rocky peninsula
overlooking Tremadog Bay
. It was built by Llywelyn the Great
of the kingdom of Gwynedd
but it was heavily modified following its capture by English forces of Edward I
in the late 13th century.
. Unlike most other Welsh native strongholds, the inner ward at Criccieth was protected by a twin D-shaped towered gateway that was protected by a gate and portcullis, with murder holes in the passage, and outward facing arrowslits in each tower. A design that might have been copied from English designs on the Marches
such as Beeston Castle
, Cheshire
or Montgomery Castle
, Shropshire
. The two towers of the gatehouse provided accommodation and their height was later raised in the Edwardian period. The castle's well was also in the gatehouse passage which was supplied by a spring fed cistern.
In the 1260s or 1270s, an outer ward was added during the second building phase under Llywelyn the Last
. A new gateway was added in the outer curtain
with a large two-storey rectangular tower. The castle, although not a proper concentric
design, now had two circuits of circular defences.
Criccieth
was taken by English forces in 1283. Under James of Saint George another two storey rectangular tower, connected to the rest of the castle by a curtain wall, the "Engine Tower" (now in ruins) might have been the foundation for a siege engine
. The gatehouse had another storey added and several welsh mural towers were strengthened. An outer barbican
was added to the outer curtain wall.
Under Welsh stewardship, the principal residence was in the SW tower but when the castle was taken over by the English, accommodation was situated in the towers of the D-shaped gatehouse.
Timber buildings, which included a great hall
, were erected within the inner ward.
. It was then remodelled by James of St George.
In 1294, Madoc ap Llywelyn, a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
, began an uprising against English rule that spread quickly through Wales. Several English-held towns were razed and Criccieth (along with Harlech Castle
and Aberystwyth Castle
) were besieged that winter. Its residents survived until spring when the castle was resupplied.
In the 14th century the castle had a notable later constable called Hywel ap Gryffd who fought for Edward III
at the Battle of Crecy
in 1346.
The castle was used as a prison until 1404 when Welsh forces captured the castle during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
. The Welsh then tore down its walls and set the castle alight. Some stonework still show the scorch marks.
Criccieth was also one of several locations Romantic
artist Joseph Mallord William Turner used for his famous series of paintings depicting shipwrecked mariners.
. It includes exhibits and information on Welsh castles as well as the Anglo-Norman
writer Gerald of Wales.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth
Criccieth
Criccieth is a town and community on Cardigan Bay, in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The town lies west of Porthmadog, east of Pwllheli and south of Caernarfon. It has a population of 1,826....
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, on a rocky peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
overlooking Tremadog Bay
Tremadog Bay
Tremadog Bay is a large inlet of Cardigan Bay, defined by the north Cambrian Coast and the Llŷn peninsula of north Wales.The River Glaslyn flows into the north of bay and St Tudwal's Islands lie at the western end of the bay...
. It was built by Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
of the kingdom of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
but it was heavily modified following its capture by English forces of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in the late 13th century.
Construction
Although the stone castle was begun in the 1230s, there were three main building phases plus several periods of remodelling. The earliest part of the masonry castle is the inner ward which was started by Llywelyn the GreatLlywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
. Unlike most other Welsh native strongholds, the inner ward at Criccieth was protected by a twin D-shaped towered gateway that was protected by a gate and portcullis, with murder holes in the passage, and outward facing arrowslits in each tower. A design that might have been copied from English designs on the Marches
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
such as Beeston Castle
Beeston Castle
Beeston Castle is a former Royal castle in Beeston, Cheshire, England , perched on a rocky sandstone crag above the Cheshire Plain. It was built in the 1220s by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, , on his return from the Crusades...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
or Montgomery Castle
Montgomery Castle
Montgomery Castle is a stone masonry castle looking over the town of Montgomery in Powys, mid Wales. It is one of many Norman castles on the border between Wales and England.- Motte & Bailey Castle :...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. The two towers of the gatehouse provided accommodation and their height was later raised in the Edwardian period. The castle's well was also in the gatehouse passage which was supplied by a spring fed cistern.
In the 1260s or 1270s, an outer ward was added during the second building phase under Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....
. A new gateway was added in the outer curtain
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
with a large two-storey rectangular tower. The castle, although not a proper concentric
Concentric castle
A concentric castle is a castle with two or more concentric curtain walls, such that the outer wall is lower than the inner and can be defended from it. The word concentric does not imply that these castles were circular; in fact if taken too literally the term "concentric" is quite misleading...
design, now had two circuits of circular defences.
Criccieth
Criccieth
Criccieth is a town and community on Cardigan Bay, in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The town lies west of Porthmadog, east of Pwllheli and south of Caernarfon. It has a population of 1,826....
was taken by English forces in 1283. Under James of Saint George another two storey rectangular tower, connected to the rest of the castle by a curtain wall, the "Engine Tower" (now in ruins) might have been the foundation for a siege engine
Siege engine
A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
. The gatehouse had another storey added and several welsh mural towers were strengthened. An outer barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
was added to the outer curtain wall.
Under Welsh stewardship, the principal residence was in the SW tower but when the castle was taken over by the English, accommodation was situated in the towers of the D-shaped gatehouse.
Timber buildings, which included a great hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
, were erected within the inner ward.
History
A Motte and bailey stood at a different site in Criccieth before the masonry castle was built. In 1283 the castle was captured by English under the command of Edward IEdward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. It was then remodelled by James of St George.
In 1294, Madoc ap Llywelyn, a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd may refer to:*Llywelyn the Last *Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan...
, began an uprising against English rule that spread quickly through Wales. Several English-held towns were razed and Criccieth (along with Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
and Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle
Aberystwyth Castle is an Edwardian fortress located in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Mid Wales that was built during the First Welsh War in the late 13th century. It was begun during Edward I's first Welsh campaign at the same time as work started at Flint, Rhuddlan and Builth...
) were besieged that winter. Its residents survived until spring when the castle was resupplied.
In the 14th century the castle had a notable later constable called Hywel ap Gryffd who fought for Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
at the Battle of Crecy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
in 1346.
The castle was used as a prison until 1404 when Welsh forces captured the castle during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
. The Welsh then tore down its walls and set the castle alight. Some stonework still show the scorch marks.
Criccieth was also one of several locations Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
artist Joseph Mallord William Turner used for his famous series of paintings depicting shipwrecked mariners.
Present day
The castle is maintained by CadwCadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
. It includes exhibits and information on Welsh castles as well as the Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
writer Gerald of Wales.