Castle Walls

From the rocky texture of the bark in yesterday's images to the smooth texture of dressed and eroded stone in today's.

These pictures are from Ewloe Castle, built in 1257 by Llewellyn ap Gruffudd. It is an interesting castle because although it has a keep and a D shaped tower and very thick walls it is unclear why it was built because it would not have been easy to defend and perhaps it was built more as a show of wealth or strength than anything else. In any case what struck me was the quality of the stone work that has survived for over 750 years.  The colour of the stone has depth and warmth and is enhanced by the mossy growth in the joints. The stairs in the tower lead to an exposed parapet which left me feeling a bit wobbly and the uneven surface on the way down, in the wet, demanded extra care even for such a short distance.