Meet the twenty-first-century faces behind Harlech Castle

FEATURE: HARLECH CASTLE Meet the twenty-first-century faces behind Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle, Gwynedd, is regarded as one of the most beautiful and perfect medieval fortresses in Europe.

Sian Roberts, Custodian.

Harlech Castle gatehouse.

Freya Bentham, Café Manager.

Skilfully designed and constructed atop a rocky outcrop by architectural genius Master James of St George for King Edward I, Harlech Castle was built from ground to battlements in just seven years.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is internationally recognised as an outstanding example of medieval military architecture in Europe — built to protect against the most ruthless of attacks.

Even when the castle was completely besieged by the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn, the mighty fortress and its trapped defenders remained strong throughout — all thanks to the site’s ‘Way from the Sea’, allowing the besieged inhabitants to be fed and watered by ship during the toughest of times.

While the castle is no longer home to the knights and warriors of Wales’s past, it is still a hive of human activity, playing host to visitors who come to explore its epic history. We caught up with castle custodian and tour guide, Sian Roberts and castle café manager, Freya Bentham to find out more…

Sian Roberts, Custodian and expert Tour Guide at Harlech Castle

What is your favourite thing about your job as a custodian and tour guide? Without a doubt, getting to share our Welsh history with visitors from all over the world. This is something I really missed when the castle was closed during lockdown.

What is your favourite fact about Harlech Castle? There are so many interesting facts to choose from, but one would be that self-proclaimed Welsh prince Owain Glyndwˆr held his royal court at the castle between 1404 and 1408.

Who is your favourite character from Harlech Castle’s past? James of St George — Master of the King’s Works and constable at Harlech Castle from 1290. I have so many questions I wish I could ask him about the building, including the gatehouse with its magnificent architecture.

Do you provide tours of Harlech Castle? We run site tours at Harlech Castle on request. They last up to one hour and cover a broad history of the fortress, but can be tailored according to the visitors’ interests. We offer child-friendly tours of the castle too and love to encourage children to engage and learn all about the site they are visiting.

If you would like a tour of the castle, telephone or email the site in advance of booking your entry ticket to arrange a suitable date and time — tel. 01766 780552 / email HarlechCastle@gov.wales.

What will you take away from the coronavirus pandemic — has it taught you anything? I feel very lucky to live in such a lovely part of the world here in Harlech and have realised just how important the outdoor environment is for both physical and mental well-being. For anyone planning a visit to the castle, I would definitely recommend some local walks in the area.

Freya Bentham, Harlech Castle Café Manager

What is your favourite thing about working at the café? It would have to be the fabulous team I work with, the delicious freshly home-made cakes and, of course, the view. I don’t think there are many cafés where you can sip your cappuccino right next to a thirteenth-century castle with an incredible view of Snowdon.

What did you miss most about working at the café when it was closed during lockdown? My colleagues. I love our morning chats before we open as we’re setting up for the day. And I really missed our regulars too. Some of our customers usually pop by several times a week so it was sad not seeing them.

What procedures have you put in place at the café to ensure it is a safe environment for visitors? There isn’t anything that we haven’t put in place — from readily available hand sanitiser and regular deep cleans to table service and rearrangement of the café furniture to allow for effective social distancing. Cadw’s health and safety team check in with us regularly to ensure we are adhering to the latest Welsh Government guidelines.

Do you support any local businesses at the café or sell any Welsh produce? We try and use local suppliers and Welsh produce wherever possible. All of our meat is from the award-winning butcher, T. J. Roberts in Bala and our cheese is from Caws Cymru. We also get our coffee, which is roasted in Snowdonia, from Poblado Coffee and our loose-leaf tea from Morgan’s Brew in mid-Wales, to name a few.

What would you say is your sell-out lunch dish? Definitely the Welsh rarebit — it’s popular with customers of all ages and highly recommended! It’s made with three different Welsh cheeses and local ale from the Purple Moose Brewery in Porthmadog.

Above: Health and safety precautions have been put in place at the café to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers. Below: A selection of the delicious home-made cakes available from the café. What is your favourite Cadw site and why? (other than Harlech Castle, of course!) I love exploring Beaumaris Castle and the local town, but Castell Coch is on my list for next year!

What will you take away from the coronavirus pandemic — has it taught you anything? Yes. It’s taught me to relax more and not take anything for granted. It’s also made me appreciate what a beautiful world we live in even more than I did before.

Harlech Castle’s café is open every day 10am–5pm (March–Oct) and 10am–4pm (Nov–Feb) for breakfast and lunch.

Harlech Castle, café and apartments are open and welcome visitors from non-lockdown areas at the time of print. Please check the Cadw website for the most up-todate information before you book a visit — gov.wales/cadw

10% off a stay at Harlech Apartments for Cadw members

Why not extend a visit to this thirteenth-century fortress into a luxurious break — with a safe, overnight stay at one of five, beautifully furnished self-catering apartments? Just a stone’s throw away from Harlech Castle, the premium apartments boast spectacular views across Cardigan Bay and the Irish sea to the mountains beyond, making them a winning location for you to extend your trip to the area or make your visit a special occasion.

The apartments are furnished differently so that each living-space has its own unique personality, but you can expect sumptuous soft furnishings and high-spec openplan living areas; each apartment sleeps up to two people and includes a dedicated car-parking space on-site — plus one of the apartments is fully wheelchair accessible and houses a wet room.

For further information, visit menaiholidays.co.uk or tel. 01248 430258.

The lounge and bedroom of luxury first-floor apartment, Bendigeidfran.