Castles, castles everywhere.

We got up early today as the sun was shining and the water was glistening. We walked up the hill behind the flat and partook of the view

Our first stop was a Neolithic burial chambers at Dryffen. It was 5000 years old.

Next stop was Harlech Castle which is a medieval fortification, constructed atop a spur of rock close to the Irish Sea. It was built by Edward I during his invasion of Wales between 1282 and 1289. It withstood sieges but fell to Owain Glyndŵr in 1404. It then became Glyndŵr's residence and military headquarters for the remainder of the uprising until being recaptured by English forces in 1409. During the 15th century Wars of the Roses, Harlech was held by the Lancastrians for seven years, before Yorkist troops forced its surrender in 1468. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1647 when it became the last fortification to surrender to the Parliamentary armies.

After walking through the castle ruins we had lunch overlooking the castle. The sun had come out and it was warm.

We decided to have an early day and found a great place to stay at Criccieth

This is where we are staying tonight. Up in the loft - you can see the window at the top on the left. It is newly restored and this is what we can see from the our window.

 

Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle 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. We had a walk p to it but it was shut.

We had a really nice tea at the hotel and had an early night.