April 27, 2018    Conwy Castle and Plas Mawr


"Conway Castle is a medieval fortification in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.  It was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1289.  Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defenses cost around 15,000 pounds, a huge sum for the period.  Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars.  It withstood the siege of Madog ap Llwelyn in the winter of 1294-95, acted as a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was held for several months by forces loyal to Owain Glyndwr in 1401. "

"Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies.  In the aftermath the castle was partially slighted by Parliament to prevent it being used in any further revolt, and was finally completely ruined in 1665 when its remaining iron and lead was stripped and sold off."

Looking down on the Great Hall

Looking down from the castle over the mouth of River Conwy.

View from the castle.

Swans.  I have never seen so many together.

The Royal Chapel

If you were summoned to the Great Hall, one of two things could happen.  Read on.

Yikes!

Eye level in the Great Hall.  There would have been a wooden floor covering the entire room.  (No fence down the middle)

Below the Great Hall, but not in the dungeon.

Clare shackled to the wall!  Oh no!

Plas Mawr (in English, Great Hall) is an Elizabethan townhouse in Conwy, North Wales, dating from the 16th century.  The property was built by Robert Wynn, a member of the local gentry, following his marriage to his first wife, Dorothy Griffith.  Wynn was known for his hospitality, and the household was supported by Wynn's local dairy herds, orchards and gardens.

Robert and Dorothy Wynn giving you a warm welcome.

An Elizabethan kitchen.

Game for a later meal.

The parlour.

The brewhouse.

The upper courtyard with the well.

Upper courtyard.

Formal garden

The master's bedroom.

Indoor plumbing!

The master's servant's bedroom.  The mattress was full of straw.

The mistress' bedroom.

The mistress' bedroom.  The more windows you had, the richer you were.

The mistress' bedroom.

Mistress' chair.  I love the foot warmer.

The family's hall.  The most decorative room in the house.

The family hall.  The E-R stands for Elizabeth Regina. (Queen Elizabeth I)

The other end of the family hall.  They put cloth on the walls to make the room warmer.

The ceiling of the family hall.

The table set for a meal.

This is the Hall on the main floor where you enter the house.

The main Hall.

The main Hall, another angle.

The entrance to the main Hall.  In all the rooms, you had to step over the threshold.  This gave stability to the wall and kept out drafts.

Thank you for visiting Plas Mawr!  Good day!

The original city of Conwy is completely walled.  You can walk all around it like a mini Great Wall of China!

View of town.

View of town.

Standing above an arch looking into town.

The all on this side ends at the water's edge.  This is looking down the beach, back at Conwy Castle.

The waterfront.

The red house is the smallest house in Britain.

We didn't go in.  I don't think it could have held all 8 of us!

Clare had a snack before we headed back to Harlech.