Geograph - photograph every grid square

The south west corner of the castle. Conwy Castle was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales. Design and work on the castle were overseen by master mason James of St. George using 1,500 labourers and stonecutters. An estimated £15,000 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.
The defences are in a linear arrangement 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 North Wales Coast railway in the 19th century, land reclamation around the castle has isolated it from the river.