Beaumaris Castle was built by Edward I. Construction began in 1295 on the Isle of Anglesey, Edward's latest conquest in Wales. The castle was built on marshy land overlooking the Menai Strait. Edward gave the job of designing the new castle to his master castle builder James of St. George. James designed a concentric castle consisting of an inner rectangular ward with six towers and two gatehouses surrounded by a octagonal outer ward having twelve towers and two smaller gatehouses. The outer section was started a couple of decades after the inner sections but parts of the gatehouses were never completed. To the side of the southern outer gatehouse is a dock where ships with supplies could unload. It was important that the castle could be resupplied by sea as Edward could not guarantee that regular supplies could be sent through the hostile Welsh countryside.
StumbleUpon