Built by order of Edward I in 1284-87, this castle is perched on a rock by the sea and has lofty curtain walls and eight huge circular towers. One end is walled off to make an inner ward with domestic buildings and four of the towers at its corners, one of them containing a remarkable chapel. The hall in the outer court is enormous and of an unusual shape. There are barbicans with round turrets protecting the gateways at each end. There is access to the wall-walks and to the tops of several of the towers. The town has a complete circuit of walls with three gatehouses and many towers dating from the same period as the castle. Other town wall circuits in Britain are larger but no others are as complete or impressive as this one is. There is access to the wall-walk of about half of the circuit.

Written by  Mike Salter.

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