King Edward I's Castle-Building Scheme

Paper Summary:

The reign of King Edward I (1272-1307) was marked by almost constant military activity in the British Isles and France. Edward?s policy of expansion and conquest in Scotland and Wales was aggressive and successful. This paper examines one of the more notable characteristics of Edward?s warlike policies, the construction of a large number of castles, mostly in Wales, as centers of military and civilian administration in conquered territories. The paper focuses on six of these castles, namely Flint, Rhuddlan, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech, and Beaumaris.

From the Paper:

"Whereas at other sites such as Harlech and Caernarfon the site had offered defensive advantages, at Beaumaris the castle was constructed on a flat, largely featureless marsh, so it had to create all its defensive advantages itself. The result is a highly developed plan using concentric curtain walls, round and D-shaped towers, and two vast gatehouses. It followed the established pattern of having its own dock and access to the sea, and a town was to have been constructed within its own, integrated, defenses. The town was never founded and the castle never completed, the demands of wars, not only in Wales but also in Scotland and France, rendering the expense untenable."

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