This episode introduces the Ring of Iron series, explains what the castles are, and sets out the argument that joins them. At school the group was called the Ring of Stone, a literal description of its famous fortifications. The newer Ring of Iron name opens a wider question about how these castles were built and sustained. Laborers, materials, supplies, and troops often moved by water. The series therefore approaches the castles as parts of a maritime system before examining individual sites.
Chapter · 0:37-1:50
Why the Ring of Iron matters
The introduction places Edward I's Welsh castles within the maritime system that moved the labor, materials, supplies, and troops needed to build and hold them.