As always happens when we find ourselves travelling in the UK we ended up in another castle during our short trip to Gwynedd, Wales in September 2011. This castle was Harlech Castle, a fortification of some reknown in numerous wars and battles of the 13th through 17th centuries but mostly known to me and my wife from the song Men of Harlech as sung towards the climax of the 1964 film Zulu.
Built from local sandstone on a headland of rock itself over 60 metres high Harlech Castle was quite an imposing-looking structure on the day we visited, its heavy, grey, Welsh stone made to look even more oppressive under the heavy, grey, Welsh skies.
These photos of Harlech Castle give some idea of its height above the nearby town of Harlech as well as how the land drops away sharply towards the Welsh coastline adding to the stronghold’s already impressive defences against invaders.
