Caernarfon is an interesting place to stay starting with the museum on the quayside which describes the history of Victoria Warf and the succession of events in the Straights. Famous wrecks and catastrophes are plentiful. The castle is the most dominant feature of the town. Caernarfon Castle is one of the most impressive of all the castles built by Edward I and is one of Europe's great medieval fortresses. Set on a peninsula bounded by the Menai Strait and at the heart of North Wales, Caernarfon became the English administrative centre. After the death of Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf (the last) in 1282 Edward I of England was eager to consolidate his conquest by establishing an 'iron ring' of castles along the North Wales coast. Thus the Royal Boroughs of North Wales came into being; they were the centres of English influence, military and commercial. It is said that Edward I's son, later to become Edward II, was born in Caernarfon. This Edward was the first English Prince of Wales. It is said that Edward I promised the Welsh nobility that he would appoint a Prince to govern them who was Welsh born, of unblemished character and who spoke not a word of English; he the presented the new Prince of Wales - his own infant son born, only a few days earlier.
Menai and the Lleyn Penninsula page two
