A blog of sketches of historic buildings

September 29th, 2017

29/9/2017

Inland, there is a dramatic industrial landscape at Blenau Ffestiniog. This is the Dinas Incline (1905) and the Lower Qarry Incline (1872) which used to link the slate quarries to the Ffestiniog Railway and stll loom over the village.

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September 27th, 2017

27/9/2017

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Criccieth further south west overlooking Cardigan Bay has a castle which was constructed by the native Welsh copying Anglo Norman precidents. Its ruin is dominated by a twin D tower gatehouse attributed by most to the first Welsh phase of construction from the 1230′s. A second phase in the 1260′s - 70′s extended a ward to the rear and erected a second curtain wall around the castle. The castle was taken by Edward 1 of England in 1283. The towers of the gate house were raised and used as living accomodation and a timber great hall erected in the interior. In appearance it has a striking resemblance to the Gaelic Irish castle of Newtonstewart in Co Tyrone which also copied the Anglo Norman D shaped gatehouse and used it for accomodation. Newtownstewart however does not have direct access from gate to inner ward. This is accessed from the first floor of the tower.

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September 25th, 2017

25/9/2017

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Caernarfon Castle and #walledtown further along the coast is another complex erected by Edward I as part of his conquest of this area. It was constructed between 1284 and 1330 and is a deliberately imposing structure. Its masonry has stripes of coloured brick recalling the walls of Byzantium and thereby reflecting Imperial power. Its poligonal towers are very unusual in their design and form part of the curtain wall. The whole is a constituent part of the same world heritage site as Conway- The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd. Very impressive.

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September 21st, 2017

21/9/2017

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Conway Castle and town walls are a true Medieval construction. Dating from between 1283 and 1289, they were built by King Edward i of England as part of his conquest of this area. Today they are well preserved and form part of a World Heritage Site along with other castles constructed in the same campaign.

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509.

20/9/2017

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On to North Wales. This is Penrhyn Castle near Bangor constructed in the Norman style between 1822 and 1827 to designs by Thomas Hopper. Hopper was also architect for Gosford Castle in Co Armagh. It is well sited looking out towards the mountains and slate mines that funded its lavish construction. Inside, the level of detail is well beyond any medieval precident and is something to behold. Well worth a visit.

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September 29th, 2017

September 27th, 2017

September 25th, 2017

September 21st, 2017

509.

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