Castles in Conwy County Borough - Conwy Castle, Gwydir Castle, Gwrych Castle, Deganwy Castle, Dolwyddelan Castle (Paperback)

Chapters: Conwy Castle, Gwydir Castle, Gwrych Castle, Deganwy Castle, Dolwyddelan Castle. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 27. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Conwy Castle - Conwy's design and work were overseen by master mason James of St. George using 1,500 labourers and stonecutters. An estimated 15,000 ( 8.9 million as of 2008). was spent building the castle and the town's defences, the largest single sum Edward I spent on any of his Welsh castles between 1277 and 1304. Conwy superficially resembles a concentric castle but it is more accurately described as a linear fortification because, like Caernarfon Castle, it was built on a rock promontory. This was to prevent undermining and also guard the entrance to the River Conwy. The promontory, which is about 15 metres (49 ft) high, was originally surrounded by the river on two sides. With the advent of the North Wales Coast railway in the 19th century, land reclamation around the castle has isolated it from the river. The outer ward of Conway Castle.The castle was designed to have an outer and inner ward. Each ward was protected by four towers more than 70 feet (21 m) high, 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter and consisting of several floors. The inner ward's towers also had the additional defence of archers' turrets. Access to the castle was originally up a stepped ramp - of which, a small part remains - across a drawbridge, through a gateway with portcullis and into the barbican. Entrants then turned left through the main gateway into the outer ward. This housed the main living quarters for the garrison and the prison tower. The inner ward was separated from the rest of the castle by a 15 feet (4.6 m) thick wall with enfilading arrow slits. It also had a deep rock gully and an indirect gateway. In the event of attack, these measures ...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=194168