Standing proud in North Wales, Conwy Castle was built during the conquest of King Edward I, between 1283 and 1289. Its defensive architecture has survived to the present day and serves as a reminder of medieval construction. Several centuries later, Conwy castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, incredibly, was redesigned completely in glass. But before we get onto this, let’s discover a bit more about this historic Welsh landmark.
History of Conwy Castle
Created by the master mason, James of St. George, Conwy Castle was built to establish King Edward I’s dominance of Wales and was one of several commissioned to establish his rule. It was besieged by Madog ap Llywelyn during the Welsh rebellion against the authority of the English.
King Richard II sought refuge in the castle’s chapel, after abdicating at the turn of the 15th century. A couple of years later, in 1401, during the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr, two of his cousins, Rhys and Gywlim ap Tudur took control of the castle for three months after a surprise attack.
In the late 17th century, Conwy Castle fell to ruin after damage left it beyond military use. This was after it fell to Parliament in 1646, during the English Civil War.
Shattering Old Illusions
Today, Conwy Castle is a popular tourist attraction, with visitors from around the world. It reminds us of how life was in medieval times and helps society to understand how we’ve evolved and how change occurred. More importantly, it allows us to learn from our past mistakes in the hope we can avoid history from repeating itself.
History also allows us to take a break from the norm, and certain historical periods prove ever popular nowadays. From TV shows centred around Vikings to Ancient Egyptian-themed slots such as the Eye of Horus slot game. Along with the Eye of Anubis, the Eye of Horus’ audio graphics help to transport players there and provide players with one of the highest payouts. With the Eye of Horus being a symbol of prosperity and protection, prosperity is reflected in this game from what a player can receive as a payout, which is part of this symbol’s luck.
Picking a past moment in time provides us with similar escapism that happens when we watch films or read a book. In turn, looking at history from a fresh perspective can encourage the same, which is what happened when a company helped to design the whole of Conwy Castle, spiral staircases included, out of glass.
It was done as part of a project to demonstrate why environmentally friendly materials would be suitable for landmarks after an increase in searches for terms such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘glass architecture’. After designing Conwy Castle completely out of glass, it immediately took on a contemporary look but also showed designers unparalleled views of Snowdonia, the hereby harbour and nearby streets.
History is all around us and with historical monuments like Conwy Castle, and other buildings, still present amongst us, being preserved, we get to be a part of it. So do people around the world that have an interest in history, whether as a hobby or connected to their profession. Conserving history, whether through the preservation of buildings, photographs, literature or other tangible items, means it can be enjoyed by generations around the world for years to come.