Conwy Castle

Conwy Castle was raised between 1283 and 1289 for Edward I as part of his campaign to secure Gwynedd, to designs by the royal architect Master James of St George. Eight massive towers and two barbicans rise directly from rock above the estuary, forming one of the most complete surviving examples of late thirteenth-century military architecture in Europe. Together with the circuit of town walls that still enclose the medieval borough, the fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a centrepiece of Cadw's Welsh castles.

Visitors sometimes describe an oppressive or watchful atmosphere in the darker towers and the chapel, and local tradition speaks of figures glimpsed on the battlements and footsteps in empty stairwells. Given the castle's harsh history of siege, royal flight and hardship for those who lived within the walls, such tales attach readily to particular corners, but they remain anecdotal reports rather than recorded incidents.

Conwy rewards a research-minded visit. Its construction is exceptionally well documented in building accounts, and the standing fabric is so intact that you can trace how each space was used, then judge for yourself how much of any uneasy "atmosphere" comes from stone, weather, acoustics and expectation.

Conwy Castle is cared for by Cadw and open to the public for a paid admission, with seasonal hours that are shorter in winter. Steep stairs, high wall-walks and exposed battlements need a head for heights and sensible footwear.

As a World Heritage monument it is protected by law; keep to marked routes, supervise children near drops, and avoid climbing on the masonry.