Beaumaris is often called the most perfect castle never finished. Edward I began it in 1295 on the shore of Anglesey, at the northern entrance to the Menai Strait, as the last of his great chain of fortresses built to hold down Wales after his conquest. His architect, Master James of St George, designed it as a perfectly symmetrical concentric castle: an inner ring of high walls and towers, an outer ring of lower walls, and a moat linked to the sea so that supply ships could sail up to a dock at the gate. Money ran out, the Scottish wars took priority, and the towers never reached their planned height. Even so, it is a masterpiece of military design, and with the castles of Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech it is listed by UNESCO.
The town of Beaumaris, built at the same time for English settlers, is a handsome place of Georgian and Victorian houses, with a seafront green looking across the strait to the mountains of Snowdonia. The old courthouse and the Victorian jail are open to visitors, and the jail, with its treadwheel and condemned cell, is grimly fascinating.
The ride in is a pleasure. From Bangor, you cross the Menai Strait by Thomas Telford's suspension bridge, opened in 1826, a graceful structure that was one of the first of its kind in the world. Then the A545 runs along the shore to Beaumaris, a narrow, twisting road with the water on one side and woods on the other, and views of the mountains across the strait. Beyond Beaumaris, the lane continues to Penmon Point, where there is a ruined priory, a holy well, a lighthouse and a view of Puffin Island, a toll road for the last stretch.
Anglesey's weather comes straight off the Irish Sea. Rain and wind are common, but the light after a shower is wonderful, and the mountains across the strait change colour constantly. The island's roads are mostly quiet, rolling across farmland with long views; the coast is lined with small coves and sandy beaches.
Beaumaris has cafés, pubs and shops; for fuel, Menai Bridge or Bangor are the reliable choices. Eat local seafood if you can; the Menai Strait is famous for its mussels. Then sit on the green and watch the boats in the strait.