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Tours > Wales > Beaumaris, Anglesey
Beaumaris (B'yew Maris), Anglesey
 The little town of Beaumaris (from the French Beau Marais: Pleasant Marsh) can be reached from Chester on the A55 via the Menai Bridge and east on the A545 as soon as one crosses into Anglesey. It is a walled town; its castle, the culmination of Edward I's determination to subdue Wales forever, has the reputation as being the finest example of a concentric fortification in Britain. An enormous labor force carried out the work.
The moat-surrounded Castle lies on flat ground; its two unique features are the gate house keep and the positioning of the outer gateways away from the passages of the inner gate house facing a blank inner curtain wall. The castle was never finished, but remains an outstanding example of the achievements of the master builder James of St. George. Perhaps the finest part of the castle is the chapel with its vaulted ceiling and wall panels.
The courthouse of Judge Jeffries of "Bloddy Assize" fame, one of the oldest in Britain, is situated opposite the castle. A branding iron for use on prisoners is displayed here. In the County Gaol (jail), built in 1829, is a surviving wooden treadmill, and the door through which condemned prisoners stepped to meet their fate in front of the townspeople.
The parish church of St. Mary and St. Nicholas dates from the 14th century, with its stone coffin of Princess Joan, wife of Welsh prince Llywelyn and English King John, once used as a watering trough. A fine collection of antiques can be seen at the ancient Bull's Head, which once hosted Dr. Johnson and Charles Dickens among others. There is also a fine Museum of Childhood, with its treasury of dolls and toys from the last 150 years. The town is now a resort and yachting center.
Next Stop: Plas Penmynydd
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