Segment: Beaumaris on Foot
Episode: Viking Ep 6 – British Isles Explorer
Air Date: 24th November 2019
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

The quaint Welsh seaside town of Beaumaris is a great place to check out, and Viking offers a complementary foot tour through it.

• The architecture of the town features a mix of Medieval, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian influences, with its name meaning fair marsh in Norman.
• Edward 1st chose this as the site for the last of his iron ring of castles, constructed in an effort to control the Welsh. Beaumaris castle is one of the finest examples of Medieval castles in all of Wales.
• The castle’s construction was never fully completed, which was common with many building projects of the era, with projects sometimes being built across generations of owners and craftmen.
• The castle dock was once connected to the sea, and supply ships would come alongside and unload supplies directly into the castle.
• Constructed between 1295 and 1330, the castle is a United Nations World Heritage Site. It was constructed to form perfectly symmetrical concentric lines of fortification, with its own moat and port loading dock for goods in and out of the castle.
• There are gaps in the arches at the entrance of the castle. These gaps are called murder holes – heavy rocks could be dropped to stop attackers, or water could be poured to douse any fires.
• The town itself it quaint, with lots of memorabilia and gift ideas on display. In addition, there are also food options, as well as sweet tea shops if you just want to break off and explore on your own.
• The area is renowned for its artists, with a number of galleries you can visit to find a keepsake to take with you on the Viking Sea.