Criccieth Castle
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Criccieth Castle is situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth, north Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay.
Construction on Criccieth began in the early 13th century at the behest of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, and was later continued by his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. Because of its strategic location, it was a focal point in the war between England and Wales — eventually it was captured by Edward I during his second campaign in North Wales (1282-1283).
Criccieth's most notable feature is its twin-towered gatehouse, rare among Welsh-built castles. It was built by Llywelyn, probably between 1230 and 1240, and was possibly copied from an English model.
In 1283 the castle was taken by Edward's army and rebuilt, including adding another tower to the wall of the inner ward and strengthening the "Engine Tower" (now in ruins), which served as a foundation for a siege engine.
In 1294, Madoc ap Llywelyn, cousin to Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, began an uprising against English rule that spread quickly through Wales. Several English-held towns were razed and Criccieth (along with Harlech Castle and Aberystwyth Castle) were besieged that winter. Its residents managed to survive until spring when the castle was resupplied.
The castle seems to have been used as a prison until 1404, when Owain Glyndŵr captured the castle, tearing down its walls and setting the castle afire, a scourging from which the castle never recovered. Even today some walls still show these scorch marks.
Criccieth was also one of several locations Romantic artist Joseph Mallord William Turner used for his famous series of paintings depicting shipwrecked mariners.
Today the castle is maintained by Cadw, and includes an exhibit with information about Welsh castles.
