Beaumaris

Edward I became the King of England in 1272 A.D. His most significant accomplishment was the conquest of Wales and temporarily controlling Scotland. In 1290, he married Eleanor of Castile. As king, Edward I was known for his creativeness and effectiveness in dealing with the barons following the reforms established by the Provisions of Oxford, a treaty between King Henry III and the parliament that was intended to control the King’s powers (source 3).

During the time when Beaumaris was under construction, a typical castle’s provision would most likely include 112 and ½ quarters of corn, 10 ½ quarters of meat, 112 quarters of beans, 7 bushels of mixed beans and barely, 2 tons of pilcorn, 9 ½ quarters of oatmeal, 78 carcasses of salted meat, 40 mutton carcasses, 80 oxhides, 70 hams, 1,856 stockfish and a large supply of wine, honey, and vinegar. Most of the supplies were transported to Beaumaris by boat which was unloaded at the castle docks. The supplies were then kept in the basement of the castle keep. A watchman would hold the key to the only entrance to the storage area to prevent larceny.

The level used by the laborers was very pragmatic. The level was a wooden, equilateral, meaning all three sides equal in length, triangle. At one of the three points, there was a string with a bead at the end. When one placed the level on level ground, the bead would point directly downwards. Not as creative, the two measuring devices were a long piece of rope, and a piece of wood with marks ever inch or so.

The stones used in Beaumaris were fashioned within a short distance of Beaumaris (Source 8). The task of fashioning the stones was not easy. First, Master James would decide what the shape of the stone would be. Then, a rough mason would slim down a large slab of stone so that a free mason could cut it into the proper shape and size. The finished stone was called ashlar. The types of tools that the mason used depended on the type of stone. For softer stone, like limestone, the mason would simply use a saw. Harder stone, however, required a hammer and chisel (Source 11). Many ornamental stones were made and transported to Beaumaris from long distances which dramatically increased costs.

With the confidence of the protection of the great walls, Master James planned to have the castles inhabitants live well. A great hall was planned for formal dinners and other events. Also, there were plans for many stables, kitchens, and mills. There was also a small chapel located in one of the towers.

In most castles in Wales, the toilets, called garderobes, were located in the curtain wall. The garderobes were simply a stone slab with a hole in the center. The garderobe was directly above a shaft that led to a cesspit. Often, garderobes were grouped together and all led to the same cesspit. These cesspits had to be cleaned out from time to time.

Because of the intricate design, building the castle was no easy task. Massive amounts of laborers and raw material was needed. Castle building was very costly. It is estimated that Beaumaris castle cost about 4,400 pounds, roughly equivalent to 12 million dollars today (Source 2). This was over ten times his annual income (Source 2). The walls were mainly made up of stone, a shiny black stone called jet, mortar, and plaster. Jet is commonly referred to as sea-coal because it is often found washed ashore on beaches. Mortar is a mixture of sand, water, and lime and was used as an adhesive to bind stones permanently (Macaulay 23).

Some topics in this essay:
Master James, Gunner’s Walk, Beaumaris Castle, Walk Meat, Caerphilly Castle, East Krak, Medieval Ages, April November, Due Beaumaris, Sheriff Anglesey, master james, arrow slits, “iron ring”, beaumaris castle, castles wales, “murder holes”, source 1, master james st, st george, inner ward, source 8, “iron ring” castles, james st george, anglesey wales 1, designated capital whales,