The military heritage of Conwy in North Wales from Iron Age times up to the present day. 

For over 2,000 years Conwy has been involved in military conflict. The Iron Age hill fort of Caer Seion defended the area from the sixth century BC, and many slingshot stones have been discovered there. In 881 the Welsh defeated an Anglo-Saxon army led by Aethelred of Mercia.

The most spectacular outcome of Conwy’s strategic military significance at the mouth of the River Conwy was Edward I’s mighty castle, creating a walled town. In 1399 Richard II sought refuge in Conwy Castle against the future Henry IV’s forces and the castle was besieged again during the English Civil War by Parliamentary forces.

During the nineteenth century an army camp was established at Morfa, housing the Salford Pals and the Royal Engineers during the First World War and a Polish resettlement camp after the First World War. During the war, the sulphur mine at Caer Coch was the country’s largest producer of vital sulphur used for munitions.

In the Second World War, Conwy once again played an important role, with the Mulberry Harbours, crucial for the Normandy landings and the town housed prisoner-of-war camps. 

Local historian and author Adrian Hughes recounts Conwy's involvement in all these conflicts and provides fascinating accounts of the town's military contribution. 

Product Specifications

Author: Adrian Hughes

Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Language: English

ISBN: 9781398104785

Format: Paperback

Length: 96 pages

Size: 23.4cm x 16.6cm

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