Flint Castle

Flint Castle stands beside the River Dee in Flint, north-east Wales. Built in the late 13th century, it was the first of King Edward I’s chain of fortresses meant to control North Wales. The site was chosen for its position near Chester and a ford across the Dee that could be crossed at low tide. Supplies reached the castle by river or sea, and a defensive wall guarded the harbour. The castle’s inner ward and outer bailey were separated by a tidal moat and linked by a gatehouse and drawbridge. A plantation town grew up beyond the outer defences, laid out in streets that still follow its outline. The castle’s design came from Savoyard models, with an isolated corner tower used as a keep. James of Saint George, Edward I’s master mason, oversaw its construction from 1280. The keep’s walls are seven metres thick at the base, with a vaulted passage running around the inside. A timber gallery was added for the prince of Wales’s visit in 1301. The layout at Flint was never repeated in Edward’s other Welsh castles, making it unique in Britain. Welsh forces besieged the castle twice in the 13th century, and during the English Civil War it was slighted after a long siege. Today the ruins are open to the public, with a spiral staircase in the north-east tower leading to views over the Dee Estuary. Cadw, Wales’s heritage body, maintains the site, and the Welsh name Castell y Fflint is now used alongside the English. A giant iron ring sculpture planned for the grounds was abandoned after debate over its meaning. Turner painted the castle in 1838, and a Royal Navy ship took its name in the 20th century. The castle’s history is visible in its walls, its streets, and the remains of its defences.