Wales Vacation - Day 4

We were now in the hear of King Edward I's Iron Ring around the north west of Wales.

We left Harlech in the morning for the drive to town of Caernarfon. The castle dominates the town. Caernarfon Castle was the site of the Investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales. In fact, he is the first English Prince of Wales. Caernarfon's history is tied very closely with the Welsh drive for independence in the 1200-1400s. Not long after construction was complete it was attacked by Welsh rebels and the part of the town located within the castle's walls were burned. Caernarfon was one of Edward I's bastide (planned) towns where the castle walls were extended to encompass the surrounding village. This provided protection for some of the local inhabitants.

The views from the castle's towers were amazing. One could look out over the channel that runs between the mainland and the Isle of Anglesly. We walked around the town and stopped at a little tea shop for lunch.

Next up was the drive to Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesly. Beaumaris doesn't command the skyline nor the village like Harlech and Caernarfon but the castle's setting was made Beaumaris comparable in it's own right. Just outside of the castle walls is the dock. At once time the waterline came up to the castle and the docks were used to supply the castle. Seen from above, Beaurmaris is amazingly symmetrical. It was also the largest and the last of King Edward I's castles to be built in Wales (begun in 1295). As with all the other castles the kids were able to climb on some of the walls and run around the grounds.

Our next stop was a town on the Isle of Anglesly that is known as having the longest name in the world. Its full name is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch which means The Church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio near a red cave....shortened to LlanfairPG. We just stopped so I could get a picture of sign.

Our last stop for the day was the Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber. It was a little walk to the chamber but it was neat knowing that people were there in 2000BC. In fact, Anglesly contains a large number of Prehistoric remains.

Tonight we went back to the old tried and true Travelodge's...this time in Bangor...