Castle Square (Y Maes)
Transcript: Welcome to this Audiowalk where we’ll explore the town of Caernarfon.Our tour begins in Castle Square, or Y Maes, as it is known by the locals. Y Maes is not a direct translation of Castle Square, it means, the field. This is because the entire square used to be a grassy hill, sloping down towards the river. It would be used for leisure activities, one of which was bull baiting, an inhumane sport where a chained bull is set against dogs.The hill was transformed in the early 1800s when the slate quay was built at the edge of the river. A large retaining wall was built across the south edge of the hill and it was filled in to make the level square we see today.Now, let me tell you what to expect on this audiowalk. During the tour, I’ll provide clear instructions to help you navigate and the audio will automatically play as you approach each stop. You can also use the onscreen map to find your way around and to select audio tracks. But the tour works best when you visit each stop in the order I recommend.We’re going to end our tour in this square so I’ll tell you more about the buildings and statues here later on. But first, let’s turn our attention to Caernarfon’s most iconic building, the castle. Head on over to it now.
Caernarfon Castle - Queens Gate
Transcript: The imposing castle you see in front of you was built by King Edward I to control his newly conquered lands in North Wales. Work began in 1283, taking 9 years and £12,000 to complete, that’s about £11million today.This was not the first castle to be built here. Prior to the current structure, there was a motte and bailey castle, built by the Normans a few hundred years earlier.The current castle is the oldest building in Caernarfon town centre but settlements have existed here since the Roman era. You can see the ruins of an early Roman fort at Segontium, just outside the town centre, although we won’t visit it on today’s tour.Now, turn your attention to the castle’s balcony overlooking the square. This is Queens Gate, one of two main entrances to the fortress.Because the current castle incorporates the mound of the previous motte and bailey castle, the ground level of the interior is raised. This is why the balcony, which would have previously been an entrance, is halfway up the castle. There would have been a stone ramp up to the gate but it’s no longer here.This balcony is where Prince Charles was presented to the people as the Prince of Wales after his investiture ceremony in 1969. Since the turn of the 14th century, the Prince of Wales is a title given to the son of the current monarch to the British throne. It is currently held by Prince William.The role has proved controversial among the Welsh since it has always been held by an Englishman and is seen as a symbol of dominance over Wales.Now, we’re going to take the road which slopes down around the castle. Stop at the car park at the bottom.
Slate Quay Car Park
Transcript: This is Slate Quay car park, head towards the building with the clock on your left while I tell you more. This whole area used to be the slate quay, or Cei Llechi in Welsh. This was a harbour used to transport slate from local quarries to customers by ship.Slate would arrive here on the Nantlle Railway which ended at a dedicated station in the harbour. The wagons were pulled along the railway tracks by horses and only replaced by a tractor shortly before it closed in the 1960s. Although the station is now gone, you may still be able to see old railway tracks embedded into the surface of the car park.The building in front of you with the clock was built in 1840 as the office for the Caernarfon Harbour Trust. Their main responsibility at the time was overseeing the slate quay.Although the slate quay is long gone, Caernarfon Harbour Trust still occupies this building and are responsible for Victoria Harbour, which we’ll see later, as well as ensuring safe passage for vessels travelling along the Menai Strait. If the building is open, you can go inside to see a small exhibition in the foyer with more information about the trust.When you’re done, we’re going to rejoin the footpath and walk clockwise around the castle.
Caernarfon Castle - Walls
Transcript: Keep walking around the castle until you reach the swing bridge over the river.The castle has an unusual design. When looked at from above, it has an hourglass layout with the upper ward on one side and the lower ward on the other. The main entrance, Kings Gate, is right in the middle of the hourglass, on the opposite side of the castle to where you are now.The odd layout was due to the lay of the land and the fact that it was built around the previous motte and bailey castle.The towers are polygon-shaped instead of the familiar round towers we associate with castles and it uses bands of coloured stone in the walls.The banding is thought to be a representation of the walls of Constantinople, or modern-day Istanbul, built by the Roman Emperor Constantine. By imitating this style, King Edward was attempting to place himself on a par with this powerful historical figure who lived around 900 years earlier. We’ll see more similarities to the walls of Constantine later.Some parts of the castle were unfinished including both entrance gates and many of the buildings inside. Despite this, it still functioned well for King Edward and was effectively the capital of North Wales for two centuries after his conquest.
Pont yr Aber and Eagle Tower
Transcript: By now, you should have reached Aber Swing Bridge, or Pont yr Aber. This is a pedestrian bridge over the River Seiont, or Afon Seiont, which flows from Llanberis in Snowdonia to here.There has been a swing bridge here for over 120 years but it would have originally been powered by gas. The bridge swings open so that boats can access the harbour whilst still allowing pedestrians to cross. Prior to the bridge, there would have been a ferry taking people over the river.Now, turn back to face the castle. The tower in front of you is called Eagle Tower. This is the biggest of all the castle towers, with 10 sides and three turrets. You can just about make out statues of eagles on top although many are now broken.Eagle Tower was the first part of the castle to be built so that it could be used to protect against attacks while the rest of the stronghold could be finished.This tower is where the castle’s most important residents would have slept. King Edward himself stayed in this tower and it’s where his wife, Eleanor, gave birth to their first child known as Edward of Caernarfon, who would later become King Edward II. His statue is outside Kings Gate on the other side of the castle.The arched doorway at the top of the steps is the water gate. This was not an official entrance but was used to accept ship deliveries from the river.Now, continue past Eagle Tower and head towards the black and white building in front of you, a pub called The Anglesey Arms.
The Anglesey Arms
Transcript: This black and white building used to be a Customs House. Its location near the slate quay allowed customs officers to keep a watchful eye and ensure the correct duty was being paid on arriving imports.Today, the old customs house is a thriving pub called The Anglesey Arms, serving up locally caught seafood and Welsh-inspired dishes. The seating area and walls outside the pub are my favourite spot to watch the sunset in Caernarfon.Now, we’re going to follow the path down the left side of the pub which will take us along the Menai Strait.
The Hanging Tower
Transcript: On your left is the Menai Strait, the body of water that separates mainland Wales from its largest island, Anglesey. On your right is the old town wall. The first tower in the wall is nicknamed the gallows tower, or the hanging tower. It’s where executions would have taken place.The last person to be executed here was former soldier William Murphy who killed his mistress on Christmas Day in 1909.Murphy was executed just 6 weeks after the crime was committed. His executioner was Henry Albert Pierrepoint who was the chief hangman at the time. Henry had executed over 100 people by this point and was paid £10 for hanging Murphy. The equivalent of £930 today.According to local legend, Murphy and others who were hung at this tower still haunt it today.Continue walking along the promenade. Notice the writing on the floor as you walk, these are quotes from famous Welsh songs and poems that are linked to the town.
Porth-yr-Aur
Transcript: The second tower you’ll pass through is West Gate, one of only two original gatehouses to the town, the other being East Gate which we’ll see later. West Gate is more commonly known as Porth-yr-Aur which translates as Golden Gate. This was another reference to the walls of Constantinople where the golden gate was one of three entrances to the city.Today, Porth-yr-Aur is home to the Royal Welsh yacht club, one of the oldest surviving yacht clubs in the world. Each year, they host the famous castle-to-castle competition where teams race their boats 21km, or 13 miles, down the Menai Strait, from Caernarfon Castle here, underneath the two famous bridges, to Beaumaris castle at the other end.
The Menai Strait
Transcript: Keep walking until you see the large anchor monument. While you walk, I’ll tell you more about the Menai Strait on your left.This is the widest part of the strait, with Anglesey over 1km away. But further down the strait near the two famous bridges, it's less than half this width and at low tide, can be as shallow as 0.5m.As the tides change, the current flowing along the strait can change direction very quickly and can also create whirlpools. These currents coupled with the shallow depth mean that the Menai Strait is a very dangerous stretch of water.
HMS Conway Anchor
Transcript: You should be approaching an enormous 5-ton anchor from the vessel HMS Conway which is displayed as a monument at the end of the promenade. HMS Conway was a navy training ship where merchant navy officers were trained. It was originally stationed in the River Mersey near Liverpool, then moved here to the Menai Strait during World War II.Remember I told you how dangerous the Menai Straits could be? Well, HMS Conway found out the hard way. When being taken for a refit in 1953, the current changed direction which resulted in the vessel catching the shallow rocks, and eventually becoming shipwrecked.Despite attempts to remove it, the wreckage can still be seen at low tide.Now, turn your attention to the end tower in the town walls.
Bell Tower and St Mary's Church
Transcript: In front of you is Bell Tower. In the wall next to the tower is a window that looks like it should belong in a church.Well, this is a church. You are looking at the back of St Mary’s, the oldest church in the town centre.It was built in the early 14th century to provide a chapel for soldiers stationed in the newly built walled town. Bell Tower would have contained a vestry and accommodation for the church as well as its church bell which you can still see on top of the tower when you stand far back enough.Prior to St Mary’s Church, townsfolk had to use the church in Llanbeblig which is the site of the former Roman fort Segontium. This was a long way to travel for church services as it’s almost a mile and a half from here.Now, follow the path around Bell Tower. Look for Victoria Dock on the other side of the road.
Victoria Dock
Transcript: Back when Edward I first built the walled town of Caernarfon, it was bordered by the River Seiont on one side which we saw earlier, and the River Cadnant on this side where you are standing now. This provided excellent protection for the town and it remained like this for hundreds of years.So what happened to the river that ran here? Well, by the 18th century, times were much more peaceful, so there was no longer the need for strong town defences. The mouth of the river was blocked off to create a new harbour and the river now runs through the town via underground tunnels and narrow channels. This allowed the building of Victoria Dock which would have handled general trade for the town whilst Slate Quay would still handle industrial imports and exports. Today, Victoria Dock has been redeveloped as a marina for leisure craft.On the opposite side of the dock, you might be able to see the offices for S4C, or S4C, the Welsh language public TV channel. The county of Gwynedd, where you are now, has the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales, with 67% of people here speaking Welsh every day. This is compared to an average of just 15% across the whole of Wales. You are more likely to encounter people speaking Welsh as you go about your business here than anywhere else.Here are two simple phrases you can learn to interact with locals. ‘Bore Da’ means ‘Good Morning’, and ‘Diolch’ means ‘Thank You’.Now, we’re going to follow the path around the town walls.
Caernarfon Town Walls
Transcript: As you walk, let me tell you a little more about the town walls. They were built around the same time as the castle during the reign of King Edward I. The walls contain 8 towers and 2 gatehouses which remain almost fully intact.Guards would be able to walk along the top of the walls to defend the town. The path along the walls stopped at the towers and removable timber beams were used to cross over so that they could be removed as a defensive measure.In the beginning, only English people were allowed to live inside the walled town. However, it didn’t prove very prosperous as there were only 59 tenants paying rent to the King by the turn of the 14th century.Fortunes changed when the Welsh-born Tudors took the English throne in the 15th century and tensions between the Welsh and English were eased. For the first time, Welsh people could now live here too. Over time, the walls have become a popular tourist attraction for the town. Many of the towers have been converted into administrative buildings and you can even stay in one of them which is a holiday apartment.Keep walking around the walls until you reach the crossroads where we’ll enter through the walls. You should see a green sign saying ‘Caernarfon Walled Town’ at this entrance.
Stryd Pedwar a Chwech
Transcript: The entrance you just came through was not part of the original design but was one of many entrances added later to ease traffic flow.You are walking down Northgate Street. This was once the heart of Caernarfon’s red-light district. It’s more commonly known by its Welsh name, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech.This is not a translation of Northgate Street but means Four and Six Street, an old nickname given to it in reference to four shillings and sixpence, which was the cost of a room for the night packaged with a bottle of gin and a female companion. This is the equivalent of 22p in today's money.On this street is The Black Boy Inn, a public house dating back to 1522, making it one of the oldest surviving inns in North Wales.When you reach the high street, turn left towards the archway with the clock. I’ll join you under the arch.
East Gate
Transcript: The archway you are standing under is East Gate but it was also referred to as the Great Gate. This would have been the main landward entrance to the walled town and was the most carefully guarded. It would have had strong wooden doors and a portcullis.The bridge in front of the gate was originally a wooden drawbridge for extra protection. It was later replaced by a fixed six-arched bridge which crossed over the ditch and the River Cadnant which used to flow near here. Today, this bridge is one of the busiest streets in the town.Start walking across the bridge and take the first stairway on your left. Then, circle back around under the bridge.
Tal-y-Bont Arch
Transcript: This arch is known as Tal-y-Bont arch. Look for the small door on your left as you pass through. This was previously a jail cell used for the detention of drunks and petty criminals. This tiny space would have held two prisoners at a time.You’ll notice the cross on the door and window. This is because for the last two decades, it has been used as a tiny chapel for the Eastern Orthodox Church. The former jail was purchased by Father Demetrius, who was the Bishop Abbot of a nearby monastery. He converted it into a small chapel which was left open so that the people of Caernarfon had somewhere to meditate and pray.After passing through the arch, keep following Greengate Street and you’ll end up back at Y Maes where we started the tour. Look out for the self-proclaimed smaller bar in Wales on the way.
Y Maes
Transcript: Welcome back to Y Maes. Last time we were here, I mostly spoke about the castle and the town’s early history, but let’s look at some of the more recent landmarks on the square. First head over to the statue of David Lloyd George.
David Lloyd George Statue
Transcript: David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. Although born in Manchester, his parents were Welsh and he was raised in Wales where his first language was Welsh, making him the only ever Welsh-speaking prime minister.He spent most of his childhood on the Llyn Peninsular, not far from here. Before becoming a politician, he was a solicitor in Porthmadog.Lloyd George became a politician for the Liberal Party, now the Liberal Democrats, and played a key role in leading the country through World War I.He was instrumental in introducing social welfare reforms in the UK, including the National Insurance Act which was the first time support was given to those who couldn’t work due to illness. This is why going on long-term sick leave was known as "going on the Lloyd George".Now, head over to the next statue in the middle of the square, Sir Hugh Owen.
Sir Hugh Owen Statue
Transcript: In front of you is a statue of Sir Hugh Owen. He is holding a rolled parchment in his left hand and a book in his right hand. This is in recognition of his contribution to education in Wales.Born in Anglesey, Owen was a strong advocate for Welsh medium learning and higher education in Wales.His campaigns led to the opening of many schools but he always encountered one problem, a shortage of trained teachers. This is why he helped establish a teacher training college in Bangor, which is now part of the University of Wales Bangor.Sir Hugh Owen is best known for his role as the founder of Wales’ first university. He helped raise funds to buy an old hotel in Aberystwyth and in 1872 it reopened its doors as University College Wales, which would later become Aberystwyth University. When it opened, the university had just 26 students, but now sees over 8,000 students each year.Let's move on to our final stop of the tour, the Post Office in the far corner of this square.
Sir William Henry Preece
Transcript: On the wall of the Post Office, you’ll see a plaque to former post office worker, Sir William Henry Preece, who was born here in Caernarfon.After working with the renowned inventor Michael Faraday in his early years, Preece became an engineer at the Post Office, working on their telegraph communication systems and eventually rising to chief engineer for the whole organisation.He made significant improvements to rail signals and telegraph systems but is best known for setting up the very first telephone system in Britain, shortly after it was invited by Alexander Graham Bell. Preece only intended the system to be used by Post Office employees and could never have imagined that eventually, every house in Britain would go on to have one.That brings us to the end of today’s tour. I look forward to joining you on another Audiowalk soon.
