‘Capturing the Castles for Peace!’ How Wales marked the 10th Anniversary of the League of Nations, 1930

One of the many ‘hidden histories’ as yet unexplored among the Temple Archives of the Welsh League of Nations Union – many of which are held at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth – is the fascinating account of the WLNU’s 10th Anniversary campaign, when peace campaigners ‘stormed the strongholds’ of Wales’ historic castles to reclaim them in the name of peace.

Over gthe course of summer 1930, a diverse array of events involving thousands were staged in

Harlech Castle (May 10th 1930)
Beamaris Castle (May 17th 1930)
Gwydir Castle (June 5th 1930)
Criccieth Castle (July 6th 1930)
Caernmarfon Castle (July 25th 1930)

**Harlech Castle** in the 1920s, where the WLNU’s 10th Anniversary campaign was launched

From the 1931 WLNU Annual Report of the Welsh League of Nations Union, among the collections digitised on People’s Collection Wales, the folllowing account is offered of the campaign:

Surviving Script of 1930 Peace Pageant by Cynan

Cynan - a Pageant of War & Peace, 1930, Caernarfon Castle — Click RH / LH to explore the script and storyboard of Cynan’s ‘Pageant of War & Peace’, written especially for the setting in Caernarfon Castle.

Image of the Caernarfon Castle Peace Pageant being performed, written by the Welsh bard Cynan.