Flint Castle

 

Started in 1277 Flint castle is the earliest and most unusual of Wales’ English-built castles

Flint was the first castle to be constructed as part of Edward I campaign

against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in north Wales.

Visit Date April 2024

Flint Castle from the river Dee

Edward I (also known as Edward Longshanks was King of England from 1272 to 1307) took great care in choosing the location.  Flint's low-lying position may seem odd for a fortification, but Edward identified the importance of the location which ensured access by sea as well as by land.  

The Northwest Tower

Edward I needed quickly to strengthen his rule in Wales and set about his programme of castle building. Flint was his first and was seen as the gateway to Wales with its position being only a day's march from Chester on the east and a further days march to another planned castle at Rhuddlan in the west.

It started what was to become Edward I's "Iron Ring". A chain of fortresses designed to encircle North Wales and oppress the Welsh.

Speed was important in the building of the castle and indeed also regarding the fortified town. Perhaps this accounts for the simple design of the castle. Workers were brought from England to build the castle and soon the initial workforce of 970 diggers, 300 carpenters and 200 stonemasons, grew to 2300 very quickly. Incentives were given to workers in the bonuses paid, ‘by the King’s gift’ to those workers who excelled, and deductions for those whose work was deemed tardy or substandard.

The Great Tower or Donjon

The castle is based on a square plan with a detached keep. The inner bailey has round towers on each side, with one of the towers detached and this being the most striking Great Tower or Donjon.

This design was new for Britain at the time however influences can be seen based on Savoyard models used in France and Edward likely saw this design during his 1270 route to the Crusades or perhaps just as likely his master mason James of Saint George would have been influenced by Jean Mesot when they worked together in Savoy, France.

Entrance to inner bailey from outer bailey

The outer bailey, most of which is now gone would have been the main entrance into the castle complex. The entrance into the main inner bailey area would have been over a large wooden drawbridge with a portcullis.

Much of this is gone now with the modern-day entrance being insignificant compared to the large, impressive structure it once was.

The Southwest Tower (Ditch filled in)

The ditch that it would have spanned would have been 20 feet deep and it would have been part of the moat defence for this part of the castle. It is important to note that it would also have been tidal with the river Dee completely isolating the inner bailey at high tide.

Inner Courtyard

Not much is left of the inner courtyard structures, the outlines of which can be seen along with the inner wall.

Inner showing location of well.

The main work buildings would have been here along with the inner bailey well.

The Great Tower, which was the main keep, would have also needed to be accessed by another wooden bridge from the inner bailey.

The Great Tower or Donjon

The walls were 5 metres thick and at the base would have been even thicker and there was an additional well in base of the tower.

Inner well of the Great Tower

Vertical channels in the walls with chutes to the moat were used to clear latrines from the upper floors.

Vertical latrine chutes of the Great Tower

This part of the structure would also have included a chapel.

The remaining three towers were connected by the fortification walls.

The Southwest Tower

These towers would have stood in addition to the wall fortifications which would have had arrow-slit holes in them unfortunately this has now all gone and the low remains of the base of the wall are all that is left to see.

Inner walls

These towers would have had living accommodations above with combat levels with more arrow slits in the walls.

Inner Walls

Flint Castle's defining moment in history came on Palm Sunday, 1282 when Dafydd ap Gruffudd ( Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283) launched a surprise attack. Dafydd's rebellion forced his brother, Llewelyn ap Gruffudd ( prince of Gwynedd, and later was recognised as the prince of Wales  from 1258 until his death at Cilmeri in 1282), to join him against the English. The Welsh rising was easily suppressed, Llewelyn, perhaps the only man capable of dealing with the English threat, was killed later that year.

Fortification wall leading to the N/W Tower

Then in 1294, Flint was attacked again during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn (leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule). This time the commander of the castle, William de la Leye, was forced to set fire to much of the town to prevent it from being captured by the Welsh. The castle remained unconquered, and after the attack the town was soon rebuilt.

The N/W Tower

Flint Castle is also famous as the location of a fateful meeting in 1399 between Richard II and his rival to the crown Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV), an event immortalised in Shakespeare’s Richard II.

It was at Flint that Richard attended chapel and then climbed the great tower walls to view the arrival of Bolingbroke. Here Richard agreed to abdicate

Wall leading to the S/W Tower

The castle once again confirmed its military value during the Welsh rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr (the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales). The invasion of 1403 destroyed only the town, while the stronghold remained unconquered until the uprising fell in 1408.

During the time of the English Civil War, Flint castle was occupied by Royalist forces, then in the years 1643-1645, it changed hands twice. Eventually, following a three-month siege, it was captured by the armies of Parliament led by General Mytton in 1647.

To prevent its re-use, the castle was destroyed on Oliver Cromwell’s order.

The uncovered entrance to the inner bailey with the great tower in the distance

In 1784-85, parts of the castle were dismantled to make way for the construction of the county jail within the outer ward - a continuation of the castle’s traditional role within the county town. Later photographs of the jail show the approach to the building over what would have been the drawbridge to the gatehouse of the outer bailey, now mettled and flanked by a low stone wall. The jail was closed in around 1880 and became the headquarters for the 5th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The building was closed in 1969 and demolished in 1970, leaving no trace of its existence.

View southwards of the Great Tower

The castle was transferred to Cadw in the 1980s.

(Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect historic buildings and structures, landscapes and heritage sites)

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53.25173938647722, -3.129849610279812

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///embraced.buzzer.glorified

OS Details: -
OS Grid Ref:SJ 24706 73343

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with the site well signposted off the A458 in the town of Flint, North Wales, with a large car park (53.25189984860036, -3.1311048763469933) which is free.
Access is currently free and the site has good information boards available.


There are no facilities on site but the town of Flint has all the amenities you would expect.

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Another Place

Another Place is a modern sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley

It is located on Crosby Beach near Liverpool in the UK.

The sculpture consists of 100 cast iron figures.

Each figure is 6ft 2in tall (189 centimetres) and weighs 650 kilograms.

Visit Date: April 2024

This sculpture was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1997 followed by Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium before being placed on Crosby Beach on July 1st 2005

The figures were cast at Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, West Yorkshire and the Joseph and Jesse Siddons Foundry in West Bromwich.

Each of the sculptures has been modeled on the artist's own naked body and because of the nakedness of the sculptures they first aroused some controversy.

Another Place

In 2006, the local council refused permission for the statues to remain at the beach in Merseyside however this decision led to the establishment of The company Another Place Ltd which campaigned for the figures' permanent installation.

Click on any image for larger size

In March 2007, permission was granted for Another Place to remain at Crosby Beach permanently.

There is little doubt that these once-controversial figures have led to an increase in tourism to the beach. 

Describing the work Antony Gormley stated 

"I always wanted this to be an open work. The sculptures that comprise ANOTHER PLACE are not statues of ideal or heroic figures from history, they are simply copies of my own body that I used to indicate a human space in space at large."

"Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature. He explains: The seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of the sky seems to question the earth's substance. In this work, human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet".

"I can remember the day after we finished the installation in Liverpool, every single work, through its wristband, had a rose in it with a tag on it saying Make Poverty History".

Click on any image for larger size

The statues have been subjected to corrosion and colonization of marine animals as well as trash from the sea over the years. 

In 2012, biologists from the University of Liverpool studied the colonisation of the statues by sessile intertidal organisms, such as invasive species of barnacles.

Sir Antony Gormley (born 1950) is renowned for his sculptures and installations including Angel of the North 1998 and Event Horizon 2007 – 2015.

There is also a similar sculpture by the artist called Horizon Field.

Horizon Field was erected in 2010. The installation features 100 life-sized cast iron statues of the human body left at exactly 2,039 m (6,690 ft) above sea level in the Austrian Alps. It is the first art project of its kind erected in the Alps and the largest landscape intervention in Austria to date. The work covers an area of 150 square kilometres (58 square miles) in the Land Vorarlberg.

Although I have tried to capture the feeling of this work of art being there gives a whole new feeling of belonging. The huge area that is covered by this work. The work covers a distance of almost 3km, with the pieces placed 250m apart along the tide line, and up to 1km out towards the horizon. 

All the statues face out to sea.

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Google Reference: -
53.49540914869752, -3.059778636907985

What Three Words reference: -
///buns.rapid.petty

OS Details: -
SD 29743 00476

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with a large car park. (53.496091062048464, -3.0581922009735023) 

There are public toilets in the car park.







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Trethevy Quoit

Known locally as "the giant's house".

Standing 9 feet (2.7 m) high, this magnificent 5000-year-old

ancient structure consists of Six standing stones capped by a large slab.

Visit Date March 2024

Trethevy Quoit

Walking up to this structure, it is in a field close to some modern houses you do not get a feel of the size of this structure but as you approach the magnificence of this site overwhelms you.

Click on any image to enlarge

There are many of these burial sites in the UK and Cornwall has a large number of them.

Like many other portal structures, Trethevy Quoit would have been originally covered by a mound.

In the 19th century, William Copeland Borlase studied the site and made drawings of it.

A later investigation of the remnants suggests a mound diameter of almost 6.5 metres.

It is impossible to tell if stones have been removed from the site but the remaining seven stones a and an estimated 10.5-ton cover slab were inside the mound.

Trethevy Quoit

There are some unusual aspects of Trethevy Quoit, not only does it have 6 supporting stones forming its internal chamber, but it also has an antechamber at the 'front'. The only other Cornish quoit to boast two chambers is Lanyon Quoit.

Particularly interesting is the circular hole cut in the highermost corner of the capstone. Speculation has informed us that the hole could have been used for astronomy. The movement and settling over the millennia that have passed means it is impossible to prove, but it is peculiar and thought to be unique to this megalithic site.

Click on any image to enlarge

The massive capstone sits at a steep angle, and this is unlikely if this was the capstone's original position. At the lower side of the capstone, five small hollows can be found.

The entrance stone at the front in most portal structures can't be moved. however, Trevethy Quoit is a rare exception here, because a small rectangular stone moving at the bottom right of the front allows access to the chamber.

There is a rectangular cut-out at the side of the upright stone that forms the front of the main chamber it is unclear if this is a later modification of if it was used and an entrance this is not seen on any other Cornish sites.

Trethevy Quoit

Trethevy Quoit was first mentioned in 1584 by John Norden, in a topographical and historical account of Britain.

He described it as “A little howse raised of mightie stones, standing on a little hill within a fielde”.

Trethevy Quoit

In Cornish mythology, the monument is known as the Giant’s House and was believed to have been created by this fabled race.

It also like many other structures in Cornwall and indeed Wales it has links with King Arthur legend and is believed to have been magically built by Merlin.

Additional information:-

A Cromlech or Dolmen is an ancient underground tomb typically built with several large upright stones and a capstone on top. In its day, the whole thing would have been covered by a mound of earth. In some parts of the UK especially in Cornwall these structures are called Quoits.

Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000–2000 BC)

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Google Reference: -
50.493185727515105, -4.455456201119047

What Three Words reference: -
///countries.extent.nibbles

OS Details: -
SX 25936 68813 : Altitude:725 ft

Additional information.

Visiting is fairly easy although the roads become just lanes for some of the way and parking is a small car park for about three cars (50.493164985542144, -4.454975466726607) and a short walk into the adjacent field.
The approach is via the B3254 and turn off towards the village of Darite. On this road you will see the turn off for the quoit.










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The Longstone Cross (Long Tom)

 

Commonly known as "Long Tom" this stick of granite stands more than 2.5 metres (9 feet) high. 

Taking the form of a deliberately shaped standing stone, the top quarter is marked with a carved Greek cross. 

As is common with these early Christian crosses, it is likely to have been added to a much earlier standing stone after Christianity took hold in the area.

Visit Date March 2024

The Longstone Cross (Long Tom) Cornwall

Situated on Bodmin Moor before being inscribed with the cross, Long Tom is almost certainly part of a landscape of prehistoric landmarks.

It would seem to be aligned with the three ancient circles of the nearby "Hurlers".

Regarding the carving of the cross, it was common for the early Christians to carve crosses on existing ritual sites and for the site to have been adopted for Christian rituals.

The Longstone Cross (Long Tom) Cornwall

It is difficult often to age these stones but the carved Long Tom is thought to be at least 600 years old and possibly much older and pre-carved standing Menhir is prehistoric.

The Longstone Cross (Long Tom) Cornwall

These crosses are quite common on Bodmin Moor with at least 35 having been found and 21 of these listed as wayside crosses. Long Tom is one of the best preserved and although many of the crosses may have been moved from their original position this is not thought to be the case with Long Tom which seems to be in its original place.

The carving on these wayside crosses found in Cornwall tend to be modeled like churchyard crosses which are often made from a single stone with a rounded wheel head with a cross carving.

The Longstone Cross (Long Tom) North Face

In Cornwall, such wayside crosses tended to be modeled after churchyard crosses or market crosses. Most were made from a single slab of stone topped by a rounded wheel head carved with religious figures. 

Wayside crosses served a dual purpose. While they were a gathering place for Christian preaching, they also served as way-markers or signposts in a landscape that could be difficult to navigate.

The Longstone Cross (Long Tom) South Face

The cross head is decorated with an incised carving of a cross on the north and south faces. The south face is much better preserved. 

Footer:Visit Information: -

Google Reference: -

50.508796877158495, -4.461704999304393

What Three Words reference: -

///opens.assemble.bloomers

OS Details: -

SX 25546 70560 Altitude:1016 ft

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy and parking is a small lay by on the side of the road which was completely flooded on my visit.

Long Tom can easily be seen from the road on approach.

The road is much better when approaching from the south.

On the A38 you can turn off at Doublebois and head for St Cleer / Common moor and Minions. The site is around 5 miles from here.

A full list of blogs can be found at my website

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