Photograph by Dave Newbould
Criccieth Castle, on its commanding headland overlooking Tremadog Bay, is one of those rare castles with a foot fitfully in both camps. Criccieth’s history is deeply entwined in the medieval conflict between Wales and England. Originally a stronghold of the native Welsh princes, it was later annexed and added to by the English monarch, Edward I. The core of the castle a powerful twin towered gatehouse is Welsh, built by Llywelyn the Great probably between 1230 and 1240. The castle was taken by Edward’s forces in 1283 and extensively refortified. After withstanding further Welsh attack its fate was finally sealed in 1404 when the Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dwr captured and burnt the castle.
