Harlech, Wales Coast Path

As I arrived in Harlech, I looked forward to exploring the fourth and final castle designated a UNESCO site as part of the "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd". There in the distance looming over the town from its rocky knoll was Edward's fortress, Harlech Castle. Built around the same time as Conwy and Caernarfon, Harlech's somber greyish stronghold comes with a turbulent past. 

Strategically located overlooking the Irish Sea, the castle's curtain wall is still visible in parts as it stretches down the slope to what once used to mark the sea's shoreline. In the medieval days, the Irish Sea was much closer to the castle than today, allowing it access to be resupplied by sea during sieges. However, centuries of sediment deposit and land reclamation altered this coastal area, shifting the shoreline away by half a mile or so (800m).

Harlech Castle played major roles in conflicts such as the English Civil War (1642-1651) mentioned previously and the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), where two royal houses, the Lancasters and the Yorks, fought for the English throne. The victorious Lancastrians formed an allegiance with the Yorks via marriage. Combining the two houses gave rise to the Tudor dynasty, known for royals such as King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.

One of the most famous episodes in the castle's history is the Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr in the early 1400s. Proclaiming himself Prince of Wales, he laid siege to Harlech Castle and successfully captured it. Owain used the castle as his residence for four years until it was besieged in return, and the castle fell due to a shortage of supplies. 

Outside the castle wall, on a small patch of grass, is a bronze sculpture called "Two Kings". The statue of a horse and rider carrying a young boy shows a touching scene from an old Welsh story collection called the Mabinogion. This story is about Bendigeidfran (Bran the Blessed), a giant and king of Britain, and his sister Branwen, who married Matholwch, king of Ireland, as a symbol of peaceful relations between the two countries. 

Setting sail from Harlech, the newlyweds returned to Ireland, where their son Gwern was born. Not all was well in the kingdom, and after a few years, things began to unravel. Branwen was expelled from court, sent to the kitchen to work and mistreated. Seeking assistance from her brother Bran, he soon crossed the sea with an army ready to save his sister. Treachery on both sides ensued, and in the process, Gwern was killed. A fierce battle erupted, ending with only seven survivors. Bran died from a poisoned arrow, and Branwen, devastated by her losses, died of grief. 

Circling back to the statue, it represents the emotional weight Bran, as the rider, had to bear while carrying the lifeless body of his nephew Gwern. The story is meant to be a reminder of the price of conflict and how important it is to find peace.