Conwy Castle - Notes for Teachers [pdf, 506kb] - Cadw

A reconstruction of the
machicolations in the west
barbican, showing the way they
may have been used during an
attack or siege upon the gateway
leading to the outer ward.
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is one of the ring of castles built by Edward I to rule
north Wales after he defeated the Welsh princes. A walled town for
English settlers was established at the same time.The walls and castle
are remarkably complete and, along with Caernarfon Castle and town
wall, Harlech Castle and Beaumaris Castle, in 1987 they were added
to the World Heritage List of sites of outstanding value.
History
Conwy Castle, built on a rocky outcrop, controls the crossing of the river
Conwy, at the eastern edge of Gwynedd. Edward I personally oversaw
the planning of the castle and town early in 1283, and the work was
supervised by Master James of St George, one of the greatest military
architects of his day. In summer 1285, 1,500 workmen were employed,
and two years later the work was largely completed. In such an exposed
position, the building soon began to decay. In 1332 it was said to be not fit
for the king to stay in. In 1346 the buildings were re-roofed in lead. In the
great hall range, stone arches strong enough to support a lead roof replaced
the previous timber trusses.The castle was seized by followers of Owain
Glyn Dwˆ r in 1401. Little maintenance seems to have been carried out until
the castle was repaired by supporters of the king in the Civil War.After that,
the roof was removed.The castle was attractive to artists in the eighteenth
century and it was painted by J. M.W.Turner.When Thomas Telford’s road
bridge and later the railway brought visitors to Conwy, more interest was
shown in the castle. It was given to the borough in 1865 and is now in the
care of Cadw, on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales.A continuous
programme of research and maintenance is carried out.
Looking at the buildings
The exterior
• Look at the siting of the castle and its relationship to the river
and town walls.
• Is there evidence that the castle was built in a single phase?
• Look for patches of limewash, which show that the castle was painted white.
• Putlog holes: these round holes, visible in the tower walls, show where
the scaffolding was.
• Square holes beneath the battlements are evidence for a hourd,
or wooden platform.
• Arrowloops at alternating heights improve defence.
• Notice the turrets on the four eastern towers.

Site of Ramp
Town Wall
Site of
Drawbridge
South-West
Tower
S i t e o f D i t c h
West
Barbican
Modern Path
North-West Tower
Gate-passage
Lesser
Hall
Ante-room
N
Site of Kitchen and Stables
Outer Ward
Porch
Great Hall
Prison
Tower
Kitchen
Tower
Passage
Chapel
Town Wall
Site of
Drawbridge
Well
Stockhouse
Tower
The outer gate and west barbican
• The present entrance is modern.The original was via a ramp
to the right.
• Notice the grooves for a portcullis and pivot holes for a drawbridge
in the outer gate.
• There are drawbar holes for doors at the end of the gate-passage.
• Large arrowloops and machicolations protect the gateway to the
outer ward.
The outer ward
Bakehouse
Tower
• This is where the garrison lived, and in 1284 this comprised fifteen
crossbowmen and fifteen other servants.
• Notice evidence for a portcullis and a drawbar in the gateway.
• The kitchen, stable and guardroom were built of timber against
the north wall. Notice the foundations and stone corbels to support
the roof in the wall.
The great hall range
Stockhouse
Tower
Site of
Granary
Bakehouse
Tower
Chapel
Tower
• These were grand rooms: notice the fine windows and door frames.
• There are three fireplaces in this range.
3
Stairs to
Water Gate
4
Inner
Ward 7?
East Barbican
6
5
2
King’s
Tower
Chapel
Tower
King’s
Tower
• The stone arches were built to support the new lead roof in 1346.
1
Upstanding Walls/Visible Foundations
Buried/Lost Walls
Names of Inner Ward Rooms
Derived from 1627 Survey
(Public Record Office, SP 16/89/25)
1 The Great Chamber
2 The Presence Chamber
3 The Privy Chamber
4 A Large Arched Roome used for a Cellar
5 A Like Large Roome used for a Kitchen
6 A Faire Lowe Parlor
7 A Litle Roome used as a Buttery (?)
0 10 20 30 Metres
0 25 50 75 100 Feet

13
12
Mount Pleasant
11
Y Porth
Uchaf
(a’r bont) 14
10
Upper Gate Street
Rosemary Lane
15
0 50 100 Metrau
0 100 200 300 Troedfeddi
9
8
Town Ditch Road
16
7
Plas Mawr
Lancaster
Square
6
Chapel Street
Porth
17 18
y Felin
19
5
High Street
Porth yr Adain
Berry Street
A f o n C o n w y
Porth
y Gilddor
The new-style Conwy Castle
guidebook contains information
about the history of Conwy and
reconstruction drawings of the
buildings. It is available at 25%
discount for educational use
from Cadw Sales.
Tel 01443 336 092/094
Email cadw.sales@wales.gsi.gov.uk
4
Eglwys
y Santes Fair
Rose Hill Street
Y Porth
Isaf
Castle Street
20
3
2
21
1
Castell
Afon Gyffin
G
The towers
• The north-west and south-west towers were the home
of the constable and his family.
• Notice the fireplaces and latrines.
• The basements were used for storage.
• The prison tower had a cell in the basement.
The inner ward
• This was ‘a castle within a castle’, containing the apartments
of the king and queen.
• From the castle it was reached over a drawbridge.
• It could be entered from the east barbican without passing
through the outer ward.
• The towers have turrets.
• There are some fine windows.
• Some original plaster survives on the walls.
• The chapel is the best preserved in the Edwardian castles.
The town walls
• Edward I divided the Welsh territory into English-style counties
and Conwy was designed to be a county town.
• The whole circuit of the town walls survives, although new
openings have been made for roads and the railway.
• The walls are 1,400 yards (1.3km) long, with twenty-one
towers roughly 80 yards (46m) apart.
• There are three defended gates and a row of twelve latrines.
• There is a good view of the walls and the castle from Tower 13.
Some ideas for site activities
The castle as a stronghold
• From the outside, what is most impressive about the castle?
Does everyone agree?
• What obstacles face attackers trying to reach the inner ward?
What are the most dangerous places on their route?
• Where would you position the fifteen crossbowmen in the
garrison to best defend the castle?
• In 1401 the followers of Owain Glyn Dwˆ r seized the castle by
‘treachery’. How might they have sneaked in? Plan a possible route
to the king’s chamber.

Penmon Priory, Cross, Dovecote
and St Seiriol’s Well
Prestatyn
Conwy Castle
Rhyl
Llandudno and Town Walls
Rhuddlan Castle
Beaumaris
and Twthill
Castle
Plas
Denbigh Friary,
Mawr
Bangor
Leicester’s Church
Segontium Roman Fort
and St Hilary’s Chapel
Dolbadarn Gwydir Uchaf
Castle Chapel
Llanrwst
Denbigh Castle
and Town Walls
Caernarfon
Capel Garmon
Castle
Betws-y-Coed Burial Chamber
and Town Walls
Derwen
Blaenau
Ffestiniog
Criccieth
Castle
Porthmadog
Dolwyddelan
Castle
Churchyard Cross
Rug Chapel
Llangar
Old Parish Church
A487
A55
N
A4085
A496
Barmouth
0 Km 8
0 Miles 5
A4086
A493
A5
Harlech
Castle
Dyffryn Ardudwy
Burial Chamber
Cymer
Abbey
A470
B5106
Conwy
A4212
Cadw
Plas Carew
Unit 5/7 Cefn Coed
Parc Nantgarw
Cardiff CF15 7QQ
Tel 01443 33 6000
Fax 01443 33 6001
Email cadw.education@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Web www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
A470
Dolgellau
Castell y Bere
A470
A548
A494
A55
Pont
Minllyn
Bala
Dyfi
Bala Lake
Dee
B4391
Conwy
Castle
The domestic arrangements
• Describe or sketch the chapel. How is it different from the
other rooms?
• Would the castle have been a healthy place to live? Would it
have been the same for the king, the constable, the soldiers
and the servants?
• Parts of the decorative windows survive. Can you sketch one
as it would have been when complete?
Leisure and tourism
• Since 1966 the chapel has had a new roof and a new floor.
Should more work be done to the castle?
• Design a guide for a visitor who can only spend an hour in Conwy.
Decide what are the most important things to see.
Your visit
Conwy Castle and walled town are reached via the A55 coast road.
Facilities
Parking, toilets, guidebook available, site exhibition, gift shop, tourist
information centre on site.
Access
Good access to the shop, paying desk and exhibition area.There is a
sloping path and steps from there to the castle entrance and the ground
has various stairs and levels.There is an exhibition inside one of the towers
and there are information panels on the site. Benches are provided.
The pay-and-display car park next to the castle is free to disabled
badge holders.There are five spaces with the wheelchair logo
(two wide and three of normal size).
The public toilets next to the shop include one radar key toilet.
Disabled visitors and their assisting companion are admitted free
of charge to all monuments. Please note that, for health reasons,
dogs are not allowed on Cadw sites, but guide dogs and hearing
dogs for the deaf are welcome.
Further information, help and advice on visiting the site is available
from the custodian at the monument, who can also arrange a free
planning visit for group leaders.
The Custodian, Conwy Castle, Conwy, LL32 8AY
Tel 01492 592358 Email conwy.castle@cadw.co.uk
Buy the new-style Conwy Castle guidebook at 25% discount
for educational use from Conwy Castle shop or Cadw Sales
at the main Cadw address. Tel 01443 336 092/094
Email cadw.sales@wales.gsi.gov.uk