Harlech was built on a high mass of rock directly beside the sea, with access through a water gate. Its modern inland appearance hides that maritime setting. The outer works can be read as two lines in places, though that count is an interpretation of the layout. Rock, height and overlapping fire made the approach difficult, while the water gate supported supply from the sea. As the shoreline moved away, the fortress lost part of the geographical protection and access for which it had been designed.
Chapter · 11:23-14:04
Harlech's lost maritime edge
Harlech's water gate and coastal rock explain a defensive and supply system that the modern inland landscape obscures.