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Photograph by Dave Newbould

Harlech Castle Like an all-seeing sentinel, spectacularly sited Harlech Castle gazes out across land and sea, keeping a watchful eye over Snowdonia. The English monarch Edward I built Harlech in the late 13th century to fulfill this very role. The rocky outcrop on which it is perched gives the castle immense strength. Looking seawards, Harlech's battlements are a continuation of a near-vertical cliff-face, while any landward attackers would first have to deal with a massive twin towered gatehouse.

Unsurprisingly, it is now a World Heritage Site. The fortress's massive inner walls and towers still A stand almost to their full height (the views from its lofty battlements are some of the best in Wales. Ironically, in 1404 this seat of English power was taken by Welsh leader Owain Glyn Dwr who proceeded to hold a parliament here. A long siege here during the Wars of the Roses inspired the stirring song 'Men of Harlech'.