When Edward I built his castles in Wales, he was not interested in subtlety. Harlech, raised between 1283 and 1289 by the master mason James of St George, sits on a rocky crag above the dunes of Cardigan Bay, with concentric walls, massive gatehouse and round towers that still look ready for a siege. It is one of the castles of Edward I in Gwynedd listed by UNESCO, together with Caernarfon, Conwy and Beaumaris. The sea once came almost to the foot of the rock, and a staircase down the cliff allowed the garrison to be supplied by boat; the coast has since moved, and now there is a broad plain of dunes and a golf course between the castle and the water.
The castle has seen its share of drama. Owain Glyndŵr captured it in 1404 and held his parliament here, and during the Wars of the Roses it endured a long siege that, according to tradition, inspired the song Men of Harlech. The views are huge: across the bay to the Llŷn peninsula and north to the mountains of Snowdonia, which on a clear evening glow in the setting sun.
The town of Harlech is small, a few streets of stone houses clinging to the slope, and it claims one of the steepest streets in the world. The riding along this coast is a pleasure: the A496 runs between mountains and sea, with views opening and closing as you climb and descend, and the roads inland into the Rhinogydd and Snowdonia are narrow, twisting and wild. Expect sheep on the road, gusty winds from the sea and rain that comes in suddenly. Summer brings caravans and tourists; spring and autumn are quieter.
Harlech has a few cafés and shops, but for reliable fuel and a wider choice, Porthmadog, eight kilometres north across the estuary, is the better bet. Welsh food includes excellent lamb, cheese and bara brith, a spiced fruit loaf. Park near the castle, walk the walls and climb a tower for the view. Then imagine the sea at the foot of the rock, the garrison waiting for supplies, and the Welsh hills, full of people who did not want them there.