Castles of Edward I

Castles built or occupied by Edward I in Wales, c. 1272-1307.

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King Edward I's iron ring of fortresses represents Europe's most ambitious and concentrated medieval building project, intended to avoid the recurrence of two extremely expensive military campaigns against the Welsh. Despite Edward's successful campaign against Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last) in 1277, all castles west of Chester had suffered to some extent from Welsh attack so Edward planned to rebuild and repair where feasible, for example, at Aberystwyth and Builth. However, two of his father's (Henry III) more important castles, Dyserth and Deganwy, were not repaired, but were instead replaced by Rhuddlan and Conwy; Flint superseded Hawarden and Mold. Following Llywelyn's second unsuccesful rising which resulted in his death in 1282, Edward's castle-building ambitions became even greater. The four new castles which were built in north-west Wales, namely Conwy, Harlech, Caernarfon and Beaumaris, were the most elaborate strongholds to be built anywhere in 13th-century Europe and are a tribute to the skill of Edward's mason-architect, James of St George.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/wales

http://www.castlewales.com