Harlech Castle

©2003 Shawn Brown

www.shawnbrown.com
(Section-A)
This floor plan is
based closely on
Harlech castle
although it's not 100%
accurate.

Harlech castle was

built in the late 13th
century. Today the
ruins sit atop a rocky
promontory looking
out over mountains of
Snowdonia in northern
Wales. These images
represent my
interpretation of the
ground-floor of
Harlech as it was
when the castle was
still being used as a
military fortress.
Notes
* Bronwen tower is sometimes
called Weathercock tower
now.
* In some of the photographs
I've used for reference, a worn
path can be seen in the inner
ward crossing diagonally from
the southwest to the
northeast. The bake-house is
in the northeast and was
probably quite busy (medieval
peasants were often required
to bake their bread in the local
lord's oven). The location I've
chosen for the woodpile
explains the path of heavy
traffic and provides the
castle's kitchen staff with easy
access to fuel.
* The room I've labeled as the
"Buttery & Linen Store" was
actually the location of buttery
and pantry.
* The "stone brazier" in the
room I've chosen to call the
pantry is just something I
made-up to explain the odd
stone foundation on the floor
of the modern-day ruin.
There's no historical
precedent I'm aware of for
such a device though.
* The fireplaces in
Ystumgwern Hall are purely
fictional.
* Yes, Ystumgwern
(sometimes Ystum Gwern) is
spelled correctly.
Harlech Castle
©2003 Shawn Brown
www.shawnbrown.com
(Section-B)
This floor plan is
based closely on
Harlech castle
although it's not 100%
accurate.

Notes
* I used the British spelling of
"armor" because it appears
here as a proper noun
(Armourer's Tower). I also
used the British spelling to
indicate the location of the
armor-cleaning workshop.
The American spelling looked
out-of-place next to the
tower's larger, British English
label.
* Armourer's Tower is
sometimes called Chapel
Tower now.
* An atilliator is someone who
makes crossbows.
* A pentice (or penthouse) is,
in the medieval sense, simply
a walk-way covered by a
sloping roof.
* The winding seagate path
leads down the western cliff-
face to Tremadog bay (200
feet below). During a siege,
supplies from Ireland could
arrive to re-supply the castle's
stores.
* I've placed the garden inthe
north side of the ward
because this side will get
more sunlight.
* In the north-western corner
of the Great Hall there was a
oven which I have omitted.
* Below the Armourer's Tower
I've placed a cistern. I believe
that this was actually a small
guard house though. And the
cistern-overflow I've depicted
is actually an arrow loop. I
wanted to put a cistern in the
castle somewhere.
* In the real Harlech castle, I
know of no evidence of a
blacksmith's workshop as I
have indicated.
Harlech Castle
©2003 Shawn Brown
www.shawnbrown.com
(Section-C)
This floor plan is
based closely on
Harlech castle
although it's not 100%
accurate.

Notes
* Mortimer Tower is
sometimes referred to as
Garden Tower now.
* A series of corbels jut from
the eastern wall (from
Mortimer Tower to the gate
house). Corbels are stone
brackets set in castle walls.
They are used to mount
support-beams for floors.
Although no structure exists
there today, something must
have in the past. I decided
that this structure would be
the senior servants' quarters.
* The granary cellar is set only
a few feet below the ground
level of the inner ward.
* Making sense of the
entrance to Mortimer Tower
was difficult using the
diagrams I had at the time. Of
course, now I have access to
a much better diagram. The
location of the ladder I've
pictured above was probably
the beginning of the stairway
that leads to the wall-walk
above.
* The inside of Mortimer
Tower was actually a 7 or 8-
sided room, not rounded
smooth and the location of the
storage closet was actually
the site of another stairway
leading up.
Harlech Castle
©2003 Shawn Brown
www.shawnbrown.com
(Section-D)
This floor plan is
based closely on
Harlech castle
although it's not 100%
accurate.

Notes
* There is some confusion as
to the number of gates and
portcullises that guard the
entrance. Some sources say
three portcullises and others
say two. I decided to put three
portcullises and four wooden
gates. Two of the more sturdy
gates can be reinforced with
great oak drawbars.
* I'm not sure if there ever was
a stable in Harlech. I put one
here simply because I thought
it would look nice.
* I've omitted a garderobe pit
at the corner where Prison
tower joins the north wall.
* The "Wash Basin" was
actually the site of an oven.
* Prison Tower is sometimes
called Debtor's Tower and the
stairs here do not match the
stairs of the real-life Prison
Tower in design.

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granted to freely copy
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presented here for non-
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This file and the images
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Any non-private
presentation of the
artwork in this file
(including Internet
presentations), in whole
or in part must be
accompanied by my
copyright notice (©2003
Shawn Brown) and my
web site address
(www.shawnbrown.com
).
Within these limitations,
feel free to distribute
this PDF or use the
floor-plan as you see fit.