Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Castles & Architecture
Castles are Wales' most famous historical and architectural attraction and the country is
covered with them - 'The magnificent badge of our subjection', as the writer Thomas Pen-
nant put it. They are a living-history statement on Wales' past and a symbol of its complex
social heritage. The most impressive castles are those built by Edward I in North Wales.
Among them, Caernarfon Castle, built between 1283 and 1330, has retained all of its ori-
ginal strength and beauty, and Harlech Castle is a great example of a perfectly concentric
castle, whereby one line of defence is enclosed by another. Conwy Castle is considered to
be one of the greatest fortresses of medieval Europe, and the medieval city walls are among
the most complete in the world.
Apart from castles, Welsh architecture is most commonly associated with the country's
industrial heritage and its contemporary, post-millennium transformation. Among the
former, Blaenavon's ironworks, quarries and workers' houses received Unesco World Her-
itage status at the turn of the millennium. And the town was recently joined on the Unesco
World Heritage list by the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in Llangollen.
For a taste of modern architecture, Richard Rogers' Senedd, the National Assembly de-
bating chamber in Cardiff Bay, is a stunning mix of slate and Welsh Oak, while the Millen-
nium Stadium has a striking design of stacked Welsh slate topped with a bronzed-steel
shell. Also worth a look is the award-winning Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's
new purpose-built facility in Cardiff Castle's grounds.
The equivalent of the National Trust in Wales is Cadw, the division within the National Assembly govern-
ment charged with the protection, conservation and promotion of the historic environment.
