Caernarfon Castle (Welsh: Castell Caernarfon Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ kaɨrˈnarvɔn]) – often anglicised as Carnarvon Castle or Caernarvon Castle[1] – is a medieval fortress in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, north-west Wales cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service. It was a motte-and-bailey castle from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began to replace it with the current stone structure. The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past, and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.