Beaumaris

Beaumaris is a well-healed town with a distinctly English rather than Welsh in flavour. Its seafront is elegant with a stately row of Georgian terraces and a marina well stocked with expensive yachts and pleasure craft.

In fact the town itself was created with almost this very purpose in mind by Edward I who wanted to attract English settlers after the construction of his new castle. That its name means "beautiful marsh" is testament to this.

After defeating the Welsh princes Edward I built one of the largest and most impressive of his iron ring of castles around Wales here. The fortress at Beaumaris was started in 1295 to defend Anglesey and the Menai Straight – just three years later the King was running short of money and the Welsh threat had abated, so the Castle was never completed.