Conwy Town Walls

Conwy, United Kingdom

Conwy's town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the town of Conwy in Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1287 after the foundation of Conwy by Edward I, and were designed to form an integrated system of defence alongside Conwy Castle. The walls are 1.3 km long and include 21 towers and three gatehouses. The project was completed using large quantities of labourers brought in from England; the cost of building the castle and walls together came to around £15,000, a huge sum for the period.

The walls were slightly damaged during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr in 1401, but political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town. The fortifications were treated sympathetically during the development of the road and railway systems in Conwy during the 19th century and survived largely intact into the modern period.

Today the walls form part of the UNESCO world heritage site administered by Cadw. Historians Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham describe the defences as 'one of the most impressive walled circuits' in Europe.

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Founded: 1283-1287
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

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4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

David Brough (9 months ago)
Conwy is a lovely town with the Castle and the walls. You can walk the walks with ease and also part of the bridge can be accessed for free. Plenty of little cafes to have a bite to eat and drink… and several fish and chips to boot. A must visit for all visitors!
Swati Malu (15 months ago)
I took the path to climb up the walls from near the smallest house if Great Britian. The walk was nice with views of city, beach, castle etc. There were stairs in between to go down in case you loved a place from far, and make your mind to go down and be there near it.
Luke Morgan (18 months ago)
Walking the wall is a fantastic place to start when visiting Conwy, providing you with views of the area and some local history. The path is narrow but suitable for all ages and we brought a pram along the wall, although did have to carry at some points.
Ann Green (19 months ago)
Definitely worth the time to walk the entire wall. Changing beautiful views from each side keeps your interest. Amazing views of the castle. Watch for creative stone work, like rock stairs up to towers.
Life's Abroad (19 months ago)
The walk offers excellent views of the city of Conwy and is a fantastic way to see the surrounding scenery. Even better, it’s free! We were able to access the main section of the wall from near the train platform, but your best bet would be down by the Smallest House.
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