You can see the full town wall, the castle and the harbour and as usual - the dark clouds are never far away. Deganwy and the Ormes head can be seen on the other side of the estuary. Conwy is part of the Ring of Iron - a chain of fortifications and castles built across Wales at Edward I after the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282. The castles were built to control the native Welsh population, particularly in Gwynedd, which had been the main focus of resistance to the English crown for centuries. Theses towns were English outposts in Wales - the Welsh were permitted to enter the town unarmed during the day but not to trade. The castle and the town wall were built so the English settlers could retreat and shelter within the town walls when the Welsh attacked them for occupying their country.