Beaumaris Castle

In the community of Beaumaris. In the historic county of Anglesey (Modern authority of Anglesey, preserved county of Gwynedd).

Last and largest of the great Edwardian castles built by Master James of St George. Started in 1295 and never finished. An almost geometrically symmetrical concentric castle. Beaumaris Castle is a World Heritage Site.
Beaumaris Castle was begun in 1295, the last link in the ring of defence provided for the north Wales seaboard by Edward I, located close to the water's edge on the Isle of Anglesey. A thriving borough was laid out alongside the castle (NPRN 32989), with the castle's constable acting as its mayor.
Although construction of the stone castle continued almost continuously for thirty-five years, the original plan was never achieved. The intended residential ranges were not begun and the towers and gates of the inner ward lack their upper storeys, giving the castle a low and unassuming aspect.
The castle was maintained throughout the medieval period. The disorders of the early fifteenth century saw the castle beleaguered after which the town was walled (NPRN 302768). The castle was put in order and garrisoned during the English Civil War, but does not seem to have been maintained after its surrender in 1646. It was returned to State care in 1925, and despite some partial demolition in areas, the castle remains largely intact.
Beaumaris, like Rhuddlan(NPRN 92914), Aberystwyth (NPRN 86) and Harlech (NPRN 93729), had a concentric layout, with the square courtyard surrounded by an enclosing ward, with round towers at the corners, D-plan towers along the east and west sides, and twin towered gate houses to the north and south, the south gate being flanked by the projecting 'Gunners Walk' (NPRN 302767). This is then encircled by a moat fed by tidal waters. (Coflein)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SH60737625

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 95769
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1573 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=27
    http://www.castlewales.com/beaumar.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/beaumaris.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/114/beaumariscastle.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/beaumaris.html
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p45-7
    Gravett, Christopher, 2007, The Castles of Edward I in Wales 1277-1307 (Osprey Fortress series 64)
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p3-7
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p29
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p14-17 [plan]
    Macinnes, Lesley, 1989, A guide to Ancient and Historic Sites on the Isle of Anglesey (Cadw) p16-20
    Taylor, A.J., 1987, ‘The Beaumaris Castle building account of 1295-1298’, in Kenyon, John R. and R Avent (eds), Castles in Wales and the Marches: essays in honour of D J Cathcart King, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) p125-42
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, ‘Building at Caernarvon and Beaumaris in 1295-6’, in Taylor, A.J., Studies in castles and castle-building, (London: Hambledon Press) p139-44
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p103-116
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p2
    Taylor, A.J., 1983, Four Great Castles: Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris (Newton: Gwasg Gregynog Ltd)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p325-6
    Dunning, G.C., 1977, ‘Beaumaris Castle’,in P J Davey (ed), Medieval Pottery from Excavations in the North West (Institute of Extension Studies [Liverpool]) p8-9
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p395-408
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (London) p173-5
    Neaverson, E., 1947, Mediaeval Castles in North Wales: A study of Sites, Water Supply and Building Stones (London) p50-1
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p161-3
    Hughes in Lowe, W. Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p176-81
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the historical monuments in Anglesey (HMSO) p8-13
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p350-2, 355-6
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p276-9
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p213-7
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p441-3
    Pughe, D.W., 1852, History of Beaumaris Castle and the Isle of Anglesey
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47799#s7
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England (London) Vol7 p1-4
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p345-6
• Journal Articles
  • Mathieu, J.R., 1999, 'New Methods on Old Castles' Medieval Archaeology Vol43 p115-42 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Parkinson, A.J., 1988, ‘The “mill” at Beaumaris Castle’, Melin: Journal of the Welsh Mills Group 4 p58-61
    Taylor, A.J., 1976, 'Beaumaris Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol132 p279-81
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Faulkner, P.A., 1964, 'Castle Planning in the 14th Century' Archaeological Journal Vol120 p219-21
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 esp p22-30, 73
    1937, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol92 p348-52
    Knoop, D., and G.P. Jones, 1933, 'Castle-building at Beaumaris and Caernarvon in the early 14th Century. A further study in operative masonry' Ars Quatuor Coronatorum Vol45 p4-47
    Greenly, 1932, Anglesey Ant. Socy. p50-6
    1930, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol85 p442-3
    Baynes, 1927, Anglesey Ant. Socy. p49-61
    [Pritchard], 1915, The Builder Vol108 p45-7
• Guidebooks
  • Taylor, A.J., 1999, Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1988 revised edn, reprinted with amendments. Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1985 revised edn, Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1980, Beaumaris Castle/Castell Biwmares, Gwynedd (HMSO)
    Phillips, Alan, 1961, Beaumaris Castle/Castell Biwmaris (HMSO)
    1943, Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey (HMSO)
    Hemp, 1936, Beaumaris Castle (HMSO)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p87-8
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#mona3]
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Evans, C.M., The Medieval Borough of Beaumaris, 1200-1600 (MA Thesis; University Coolege of North Wales, Bangor)