Caernarfon, Castle Square c.1955
Photo ref: C33082
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Photo ref: C33082
Photo of Caernarfon, Castle Square c.1955

More about this scene

The great castle of Edward I overpowers this scene as, of course, it was originally intended to do, and its distinctive polygonal towers distinguish it from other castles that Edward built. Started in 1283 by Master James of St George, it was taken briefly when the Welsh revolted in 1294. It was later strengthened and work finished in 1330. The Welsh had to live outside the town walls. Here we see the modern town square filled with coaches for holidaymakers and locals alike. The fountain and the municipal flowerbed, splendid symbols of civic pride, are sadly no longer with us.

A Selection of Memories from Caernarfon

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Caernarfon

Sparked a Memory for you?

If this has sparked a memory, why not share it here?

I was born in Deiniolen in 1932 in Tabernacle Street, we then moved to Tan For, before moving to the new house in Pentre Helen. I enjoyed my time at the village school. My father was a quarryman as were all his brothers.
Walking around the square time and time again to have a piece of Numer 8 rock off the Welsh Lady. What a treat and it was free.
Castle Square in the 1930s was the terminal point for a bus service to Beddgelert run by the Brown Bus Service. Memory has it that the bus ran every two hours or so and had a garage (now a mountain-climbing gear retailers) on the right hand side of the main road entering Beddgelert. The bus shown, a brown and cream Daimler of early 1920s vintage, was ramshackle and dilapidated by the late 1930s, a 'local ...see more
Castle Square of the 1950s and 60s had a vibrancy that is absent nowadays. This was because all of the local bus services terminated there and a constant stream of people dismounted to go about their business throughout the day. People from the hillside communities came to town to do their shopping, buy food, clothing, hardware etc. Families arriving from Liverpool on the coach would change here to local ...see more