SH7877 : Train arriving
taken 10 years ago, near to Gyffin, Conwy, Wales
Conwy castle is one of the most picturesque of Welsh castles and a masterpiece of medieval military architecture. The castle and town walls are now in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a site of outstanding universal value. They were built by Edward I between 1283 and 1289 and helped to complete the conquest of the Welsh princes in North Wales. In Conwy, the castle's commanding position on a rocky outcrop overlooking the estuary dictated its very size and shape and gave it its great military strength. Taken together the castle and the town walls of Conwy, planned as a single unit, are the most impressive of all the fortresses built by King Edward I. Over 1.2 km. long, the town walls defended the largest of Edward's Welsh frontier towns with their 21 towers and 3 gateways. The town walls also acted as the outermost defences of the castle, an imposing compact eight-towered stronghold surrounded by water on three sides. Nearest the town, the castle's own outer bailey housed the garrison, then, doubly defended by town wall and the outer bailey, came the king's private apartments in the castle's inner bailey. It is one of a ring of castles built by Edward I around Wales.
Grade I listed. Link
Conwy station is located on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. There are through services to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint in one direction and to Bangor & Holyhead in the other. After arrival at Chester, most trains go forward to either Crewe, Cardiff or Birmingham International. The station was opened by the Chester and Holyhead Railway on 1 May 1848, was closed as part of the Beeching cuts on 14 February 1966 but reopened on 29 June 1987 as a request stop. Upon reopening, the Welsh spelling Conwy was adopted, in contrast to the Anglicised form Conway used until closure in 1966.