Beaumaris Castle

In the community of Beaumaris.
In the historic county of Anglesey (Modern authority of Anglesey, preserved county of Gwynedd).

Last and largest of the great Edwardian castles built by Master James of St George. Started in 1295 and never finished. An almost geometrically symmetrical concentric castle. Beaumaris Castle is a World Heritage Site.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SH60737625

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 95769

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1573

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=27
    http://www.castlewales.com/beaumar.html
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/beaumaris.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/114/beaumariscastle.htm
    http://www.worldwidewales.tv/index2.php
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p3-7
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p29
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p14-17 [plan]
    Macinnes, Lesley, 1989, A guide to Ancient and Historic Sites on the Isle of Anglesey (Cadw) p16-20
    Taylor, A.J., 1987, ‘The Beaumaris Castle building account of 1295-1298’, in Kenyon, John R. and R Avent (eds), Castles in Wales and the Marches: essays in honour of D J Cathcart King, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press) p125-42
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, ‘Building at Caernarvon and Beaumaris in 1295-6’, in Taylor, A.J., Studies in castles and castle-building, (London: Hambledon Press) p139-44
    Taylor, A.J., 1986, The Welsh Castles of Edward I (Hambledon Press) p103-116
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p2
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p325-6
    Dunning, G.C., 1977, ‘Beaumaris Castle’,in P J Davey (ed), Medieval Pottery from Excavations in the North West (Institute of Extension Studies [Liverpool]) p8-9
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works, vol1: the Middle Ages (London) p395-408
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (London) p173-5
    Neaverson, E., 1947, Mediaeval Castles in North Wales: A study of Sites, Water Supply and Building Stones (London) p50-1
    Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p161-3
    Hughes in Lowe, W. Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p176-81
    RCAHMW, 1925, An inventory of the historical monuments in Anglesey (HMSO) p8-13
    Evans, Herbert A., 1912, Castles of England and Wales (London) p350-2, 355-6
    Hamilton Thompson, A., 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (London) p276-9
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p213-7
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p441-3
    Pughe, D.W., 1852, History of Beaumaris Castle and the Isle of Anglesey
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England (London) Vol7 p1-4
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol2 p345-6
• Journal Articles
  • Mathieu, J.R., 1999, 'New Methods on Old Castles' Medieval Archaeology Vol43 p115-42
    Parkinson, A.J., 1988, ‘The “mill” at Beaumaris Castle’, Melin: Journal of the Welsh Mills Group 4 p58-61
    Taylor, A.J., 1975, 'Beaumaris Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol132 p279-81
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Faulkner, 1964, 'Castle Planning in the 14th Century' Archaeological Journal Vol120 p219-21
    Edwards, J. Goronwy, 1944, 'Edward I's Castle-Building in Wales' Proceedings of the British Academy Vol32 esp p22-30, 73
    1937, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol92 p348-52
    Knoop, D., and G.P. Jones, 1933, 'Castle-building at Beaumaris and Caernarvon in the early 14th Century. A further study in operative masonry' Ars Quatuor Coronatorum Vol45 p4-47
    Greenly, 1932, Anglesey Ant. Socy. p50-6
    1930, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol85 p442-3
    Baynes, 1927, Anglesey Ant. Socy. p49-61
    [Pritchard], 1915, The Builder Vol108 p45-7
• Guidebooks
  • Taylor, A.J., 1999, Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1988 revised edn, reprinted with amendments. Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1985 revised edn, Beaumaris Castle (CADW)
    Taylor, A.J., 1980, Beaumaris Castle/Castell Biwmares, Gwynedd (HMSO)
    Phillips, Alan, 1961, Beaumaris Castle/Castell Biwmaris (HMSO)
    1943, Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey (HMSO)
    Hemp, 1936, Beaumaris Castle (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/glameng.html#mona3]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Evans, C.M., The Medieval Borough of Beaumaris, 1200-1600 (MA Thesis; University Coolege of North Wales, Bangor)