Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I’s second campaign in North Wales. The design and work was overseen by master mason James of St. George using 1,500 labourers and stonemasons. An estimated £15,000 (£162 million in 2009) was spent building the castle and the town’s defences, the largest single sum Edward I spent on any of his Welsh castles between 1277 and 1304.
Conwy superficially resembles a concentric castle but it is more accurately described as a linear fortification because, like Caernarfon Castle, it was built on a rock promontory. This was to prevent undermining and also guard the entrance to the River Conwy. The promontory, which is about 15 metres (49 ft) high, was originally surrounded by the river on two sides. With the advent of the railways in the 19th century, land reclamation around the castle has isolated it from the river.
The fortress is divided into an outer and inner ward. These are separated by 15 feet (4.6 m) thick walls and a deep rock gully. Each ward was protected by four towers more than 70 feet (21 m) high, 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter and consisting of several storeys. The inner ward’s towers also had the additional defence of turrets.
Access to the castle was originally up a stepped ramp – of which, a small part remains – across a drawbridge, through a gateway with portcullis and into the barbican. Entrants then turned left through the main gateway into the outer ward. This housed the main living quarters for the garrison and the prison tower. A wall and gatehouse with enfilading arrow slits defended the inner ward. This part contained the heated Royal Apartments and the Great Hall. At the back of the castle there was another barbican guarding the riverside.
In the 13th century, a watchtower was built on the site of Bodysgallen Hall. Its purpose was to act as a lookout towards the north an area not easily watched from Conwy itself. Some of the stone used in construction of Conwy Castle has been linked to a quarry at Bodysgallen.
CADW have reported an area of dangerous and defective masonry within the walls that encircle the town. We have been instructed to drill and install a Cintec Anchor system to stabilise and conserve the masonry – thus eliminating the possibility of falling stone work and safeguarding valuable tourist visitors to this World Heritage Site.
We have also been instructed to remove modern day paint systems from the Castle Walls. Due to this being such a sensitive and globally significant monument, the sympathetic cleaning process we propose to use in this case will be the TORC Cleaning System.
Below: Before/After (TORC Cleaning System)
