Conway (now Conwy) Castle was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales (1283-1289). Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defences cost around £15,000, a huge sum for the period. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars. It withstood the siege of Madog ap Llywelyn in the winter of 1294-95, acted as a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was held for several months by forces loyal to Owain Glyndwr in 1401. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies. In the aftermath the castle was partially slighted by Parliament to prevent its being used in any further revolt, and was finally ruined in 1665 when its remaining iron and lead were stripped and sold off. It became a picturesque destination for artists in the later 18th and early 19th centuries.
