Castles in North Wales - A History of Community

There's an old saying about everyone's home being their castle and today in North Wales there are still plenty of examples of the real thing.

Although many people might think of these wonderful buildings as they've seen them in films, being refuge from a siege or involved in a battle, most of the time castles were actually at the centre of wider day to day community life.

Think of it almost like a modern day city, with the castle as the urban centre. Although some lived and worked within the walls, many others would live outside and come to the castle for work, trade or other daily requirements.

In North Wales today there are more than 100 castles still standing, some as ruins and others restored to their original impressive stature.

Conwy Castle

Conwy County is a county borough in north-west Wales and takes its name from the River Conwy. The town of Conwy itself is on the coast and that's where you'll find the magnificent castle.

The medieval fortress dates back over 740 years and its restored towers featuring spiral staircases allow visitors to walk a complete circuit around the battlements. Originally built in the four years between 1283 and 1287, today Conwy Castle is recognised as a World Heritage Site.

The views of the craggy mountains of Snowdonia, the wonderful harbour and the old narrow streets all combine to make Conwy a truly unique location full of local history.

Denbigh Castle

Denbigh (Dinbych in Welsh, meaning "little fortress") is a thriving market town. It's also one of the most historic in North Wales, with the remains of a 13^th century castle still looming large over it.

Denbigh Castle has a drawbridge leading into a triangle of three octagonal towers that form the main gatehouse entrance. Although not restored to the same degree as some other examples from similar time periods, this simply means that your imagination is allowed full rein to paint your own picture of times gone by.

Eight mural towers feature along the rest of the curtain wall, with barbicans and defensive terraces and walls all still on display. There is also a connection to the largely intact town walls that stretch to ring around 1,100 metres of the old town. Today this vibrant market town, which is full of community and history, is a highly popular choice to live in North Wales.

Rhuddlan Castle

The name Rhuddlan comes from the Welsh words for 'red riverbank' and its history dates it back to the Domesday Book.

Rhuddlan Castle, built between 1277 to 1282, is extremely well-preserved and visitors can easily see that it was a true feat of engineering. Towering above the River Clwyd, which was actually diverted to run by the chosen site at the time of building, the castle's concentric 'walls within walls' design was quite revolutionary too.

The old town itself has a mediaeval street plan little changed from the time the castle was built. However, a wide range of shops, from artisan foodies to big-name supermarkets, together with excellent local schools and much more all come together to make Rhuddlan an extremely desirable 21st century location.

What's more, it's where our offices are located too! So next time you're in the area, pop in for a chat - we're on the High Street, LL18 2UA. Of course we'd be just as happy to talk on the phone, 01745 591811 or drop us an email at rhuddlan@llestates.co.uk If you’re looking for a home in a location that has a wealth of history and heritage we’ll know just the place.