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Criccieth Castle

This castle, in Gwynedd, was built for Llywelyn the Great in 1230, and was taken over by Edward the First in his war against the Welsh. It stands on a headland above the seaside town of Criccieth, and now lies mostly in ruins, although the gate house remains impressive. Criccieth is unusual in that it is a Welsh castle originally built by the Welsh. Most other castles in Wales were built by invading forces. Fights have continued around the castle not with swords and arrows, but in disputes over which parts of the building were built by the English and which parts by the Welsh.

Llywelyn the Great is perhaps the closest that Wales came to having a king. He united Gwynedd in north Wales, and his influence even extended into mid Wales. Unfortunately his son could not hold onto these gains. Wales continued as a country of separate groups linked by a common language, and little else. As Wales continues to search for identity today Llywelyn is an important figure, and people continue to fight over his castle.

Opening Times: 1st April to 31st May 10am to 5pm daily, 1st June to 30th September 10am to 6pm daily, October 10am to 5pm daily. During the Winter the castle is open 1st November to 31st March 9:30am to 4pm Friday and Saturday and 11am to 4pm Sunday. Last admission is 30 minutes prior to closing. The castle is closed 24-26th December and 1st January.There is a charge for entry April to October. For the rest of the year the site is unstaffed and entry is free. There are toilets, a shop, exhibition area and information panels.

Directions: Criccieth is off the A497 beside Tremadoc Bay in north Wales. Click here for an interactive map centred on Criccieth Castle.

Access: there is a ramp from reception to the ground floor exhibition area. A steep path leads up to the castle. There is a Radar key toilet.

Contact: 01766 522227