There are many Castle is Wales but few are as impressive as Conwy. It was built by Edward the First who was fed up with invading wales to keep it his every five minutes. He decides that it would be a good idea to build series of fortifications and fill it full of soldiers loyal to him. He also extends the town of Conwy at an astronomical cost of Fifteen thousand pounds. That might not seem like a lot nowadays but back then it was a King’s ransom. Literally, as Edward stumped up the cash. Admittedly he nicked it from the Welsh and Scottish people he was looking to subjugate. It didn’t always belong to Edward. Madog ap Llewellyn tried to take it and failed. Richard the second hide there for a while and, which would have really ticked off Edward the first, Owain Glyndwr held it to marshal his forces as he attempted to take Wales back for the Welsh. It was emblazoned with battlements. Not that they got a good reception for the TV there. A TV Aerial Installation Swansea company might be needed like the one at https://www.onevisionltd.co.uk/tv-aerial-installation-swansea
The place kept the peace for many years after that insurrection failed and it was a turn around again for the castle when the Civil war began. Wales, bizarrely, found itself on the Kings side and stood firm for him until 1645 the very end of the war. It surrendered to the Parliamentarian troops and as with every other castle that was held by the King it was slighted. At least it didn’t fare as badly as Corfe in Dorset or Nunney Castle in Somerset, they were blown to bits. It did have its iron and lead nicked though. The worry for the Parliamentarians was that even if they kept beating the King he would still be King. He was always likely to be able to get an army together and he fortified base would really come in handy. Once the lead and iron had gone and been sold the castle had outlived his usefulness as a military site.
As it slowly descended into ruin, its dressed stone stolen to make farm houses and walls for cattle pens and field demarcation, it found a new leash of life from the romantic Poets and Artists that were determined to rediscover Wales. They wandered the harsh and remote landscape observing the rugged hills and people in a place that was seen as being pretty backwards compared to the rest of the country. Conwy’s ruined castle was the perfect backdrop. History was forgotten and here was the perfect set up for a Camelot or just the improbably picturesque scene the ruined castle created.
Visitors and tourists began to take an interest in the Castle and slowly the visitors swelled fuelling the local economy. Conwy had had come to save Wales again bring in much needed tourist cash. CADW the Welsh assembly organisation now runs and protects it. The site is also a UNESCO World heritage site.
