Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey was built in 1295 by King Edward 1. It is one of the best preserved Castle in North Wales. This is the only Castle to have its original moat and is now a World Heritage Site. It overlooks the wild Menai Straits near Bangor North Wales. The castle was never completely finished as money seems to have been a restriction since 1330. The castle is full of tiny passageways and huge arches, arrow slits and dense walls. The exquisite little chapel on the first floor gives a glimpse of the king and Queens private place of worship. It is a place were time merges and distant kings seem to walk the battlements with you. Seagulls make use of the high towers and shelter from the wind to build their nests. The castle then even today offers protection to some. Across the water mountains loom in and out of the mist and the placement of the castle provided a spectacular view of them. It costs £3.80 to go into the castle and a large carpark at the quayside costs £2 for all day parking.
You can take a boat trip from the waterside to nearby Puffin Island but the weather has to be calm. Today the wind and rain lashed the water and ensured only the bravest fishermen went out to sea. Tourists like me were left vowing to come back another day to visit the Puffins and walk through the history of Beaumaris once again. The town itself is pretty, tiny tearooms sit next to practical shoe shops, and bakeries sell pretty cakes and fly Union Jack banners and Welsh Dragons Flags from the doorways. It is one of the few places that find me dreaming of houses and staking out where I would love to live. It is a very lovely part of the country.
