Harlech Castle is built on top of a hill surrounded by a moat on one side and thick stone walls; the castle looks imposing in structure with beautiful views from the hill over the coast in one direction and the village in the other direction. I went to visit it on a sunny day at the end of March. The castle was constructed in the 1200s and survived conquests with the English, and it is a UNESCO world heritage site and maintained by Cadw, so English Heritage member visitors can also visit it as part of their membership.
Today, the castle is located next to parking and the visitor centre with a few village tourist shops next to it. There is a suspended footbridge from the visitor centre into the castle.
The castle was built quickly under the guidance of Jams St. George, a master architect of the time who surrounded the castle in layers of walls.
The castle is not too large to explore; the interior is virtually empty with some small foundation stones scattered around and a walk along the exterior of the castle and castle walls.
The castle wall walks have amazing views, although it is a little bit frightening how high the castle is. My visit was on a sunny day, and I could see out to the sea and the sand dunes.
The village is on the other direction on the hillside.
There was a battle at the castle in the early 1400s which resulted in the castle surrendering to the heir of Henry IV. The castle was the last to fall in the English Civil War, and its complete destruction never happened.
I enjoyed the visit to the castle, and it's an easy one to spend an hour or two at and one of a few castles in this region of north Wales. The height was a little bit daunting when on the walls overlooking the sea views.
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