Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAERNARFON
249 miles NW of London; 68 miles W of Chester; 30 miles SE of Holyhead; 9 miles SW of Bangor
The principal reason to come to
Caernarfon,
at the mouth of the River Seiont, is to
see
Caernarfon Castle.
In the 13th century, when King Edward I had defeated the
Welsh after long and bitter fighting, he ordered the construction of a fortress on the
site of an old Norman castle at the western end of the Menai Strait. From here, his
sentinels could command a view of the land around, all the way to the mountains and
far out across the bay. Caernarfon is also a great place to begin a journey into the heart
of Snowdonia, aboard the historic
Welsh Highland Railway,
one of Wales's most
scenic train rides.
The main downside to Caernarfon? Tourist buses can occasionally overrun the
walled center in summer.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
There's no regular rail link to Caernarfon; the nearest connec-
tion is through Bangor, to which Caernarfon is linked by bus. Buses run between
Bangor and Caernarfon, a 25-minute ride, at least every 20 minutes throughout the day.
If you're driving from Bangor, head southwest along the A487; from Porthmadog,
head north along the A487, or take a day-trip aboard the
Welsh Highland Railway
(see below).
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Caernarfon Tourist Information Centre
is
at Oriel Pendeitsh, Castle Street (
&
01286/672232
). From May through October,
it's open daily 9:30am to 4:30pm; November through April, hours are Monday to
Saturday 10am to 3:30pm.
Exploring Caernarfon
The Romans maintained a fort at
Segontium
for some 3 centuries. Excavations on
the outskirts of Caernarfon beside the A4085 have disclosed foundations of barracks,
bathhouses, and other remains. Finds from the excavations are displayed in the
museum
(
&
01286/675625;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk) on the site, usually open
year-round Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30pm. Admission is free. There are no
outstanding relics here; allow about 30 minutes to walk around.
Caernarfon Castle
CASTLE The nearest thing Wales has to a royal palace
was described by Dr. (Samuel) Johnson after a visit in 1774 as “an edifice of stupen-
dous majesty and strength”—indeed, this may be the largest structure ever built in
Wales. Based either on his firsthand observations (historians believe Edward I might
have visited Constantinople during the Crusades) or on ancient drawings of Constan-
tinople procured by Edward's architect, the Savoy-born James of St. George, the walls
were patterned after those surrounding ancient Byzantium.
The walls between the Chamberlain Tower and Queen's Tower house the
Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
(www.rwfmuseum.org.uk), which traces
the history of the regiment's role in war across the globe since 1659. Allow 1
1
⁄
2
hours
total for your visit.
Caernarfon.
&
01286/677617.
Admission (includes museum) £5.25 adults, £4.85 seniors and children
5-15, £15 family ticket. Mar-Oct daily 9:30am-5pm; Nov-Feb Mon-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
19