In the late 13th century, Edward I set out to conquer Wales. The Beaumaris Castle was one of Edward’s iron ring castles which he built to remind the Welsh of his authority and victory over them. While these iron ring castles are some of the oldest and frankly most impressive castles, the Beaumaris Castle stands unique among them. This is because the Beaumaris Castle, despite looking the opposite, is an unfinished castle. Moreover, many call it the greatest castle that never was or never finished. This castle was the last Edwardian castle following the conquering of Wales. Therefore, both Edward and his architect George wanted to make this one a true masterpiece. The construction of the castle lasted for nearly 50 years and in the end, it was still not true to the image that George had in his mind.
The Beaumaris Castle is also one of the most expensive castles. In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the construction of the castle cost 13,000 pounds which roughly equals to 20 million dollars today. Moreover, nearly 4000 people who came from different locations of the kingdom worked on the castle.
Despite its “unfinished” statues, the Beaumaris Castle is one of the finest and technically impeccable castles in the United Kingdom. It was first and foremost a defensive fort, therefore, Edward made efforts to make sure that the castle was secure. The towers, water defenses, walls, and gates of the castle were specifically large and tall for that reason. Moreover, the castle has walls inside the walls. In a picture from above, it is possible to see that the wall defenses of the castle are quite extensive and the main ground is surrounded by 4 different sets of walls. Today, the Beaumaris Castle is one of the most popular castles in Wales. Especially, thanks to the renovation works in the late 20th century.
