Fort focus
WITH VISITOR ATTRACTIONS BEGINNING TO OPEN AS WE FOLLOW THE GOVERNMENT ROADMAP OUT OF LOCKDOWN, HERE ARE VICKY LISSAMAN’S KINGS OF THE CASTLES
HARLECH CASTLE
Built on top of a sheer rocky crag opposite the mighty peaks of Snowdonia, Harlech Castle has the most spectacular setting of the four of Edward I’s striking fortresses in Wales. It took seven years to complete its classic walls within walls design by James St George. The structure withstood many attacks thanks to its ‘way from the sea’ – a path of 108 steps to the castle that allowed those inside to be fed and watered by ship.
Loved by regimental bands and rugby fans, the nation’s unofficial anthem, Men of Harlech, is said to describe the siege that took place here during the War of the Roses, where a handful of men held out against a besieging army of thousands. An amazing floating bridge now allows visitors to enter the way the architect intended.
cadw.gov.wales/ visit/places-to-visit/ harlech-castle