Spectacularly
sited Harlech Castle seems to grow naturally from the rock on
which it is perched. Like an all-seeing sentinel, it gazes out
across land and sea, keeping a watchful eye over Snowdonia.
Built by Edward I in the late 13th century to fulfil this very
role. It was one of the most formidable of his ‘iron ring’
of fortresses designed to contain the Welsh in their mountain
fastness. Ironically, in 1404 it was taken by Welsh leader Owain
Glyndŵr who proceeded to hold a parliament here.
A long siege here during the Wars of the Roses inspired the
stirring song ‘Men of Harlech’. Although an imposing
edifice, Harlech is at one with its surroundings, a quality
rare in the great Edwardian castles.
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There
is a sense of harmony at work here, created by the
way in which the castle builders took care to exploit
the site’s natural advantages. Looking seawards,
Harlech’s battlements spring out of a near-vertical
cliff-face,
while any landward attackers would first have to deal with
a massive twin-towered gatehouse. The Castle’s
breathtaking location makes it unmissable, a fact reinforced
by its status as a World Heritage Inscribed site.
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| Fact
File :- |
| Contact
: Mrs Miriam Jones |
Opening
Times:
|
| Summer:
|
31st
March - 31st May
9.30 am - 5.00 pm daily. |
| 1st
June - 29th September 9.30am - 6.00pm daily. |
| Winter:
|
| 30th
September - 27th October, 9.30am - 5.00pm daily. |
28th
October - 31st March
Mon - Sat : 9.30am - 4pm
Sun : 11am - 4pm |
Closed
:
24, 25, 26th Dec, 1st Jan |
| Last
admission half an hour before closing time. |
Directions
We are situated within the South Western
region of the Snowdonia National Park. Please contact us for
more detailed directions.
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