It is characteristic of Edward that his most lasting monuments are the castles he built as means of imposing his authority. Of the castles he built after the Welsh war of 1276–7, nothing remains of Builth except for earthworks. However, there are substantial remains of Aberystwyth, on the west coast, and Flint and Rhuddlan in north Wales. Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech, built in Gywnedd in the aftermath of the conquest of Wales in 1283, and Beaumaris, built on Anglesey after the Welsh rebellion in 1294–5, are among the best-preserved medieval castles in Britain (even though Beaumaris was never actually finished), and have been designated World Heritage Sites. They still project an intimidating aura of overwhelming power. It is also worth noting that Edward took over and rebuilt some of Llywelyn’s own castles; substantial ruins survive of Dolwyddelan, Criccieth and Castell y Bere, all in north Wales. The small scale of these Welsh castles compared to the huge edifices constructed by Edward is a striking testament to the vast disparity of wealth between the kings of England and the Welsh princes.
His religious buildings have fared less well. His sole religious foundation, the Cistercian abbey of Vale Royal in Cheshire, was rebuilt as a mansion following the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. The mansion still stands (now serving as the club house of a private golf course), but little survives of the medieval buildings except for the refectory and kitchen, which were incorporated into the new house. Of the twelve Eleanor Crosses, only three are still standing: at Geddington and Hardingstone, Northamptonshire, and Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire (of which that at Geddington is the best preserved). A Victorian replica now stands at Charing Cross in London, in lieu of the original. On a more secular note, a huge oaken round table, which seems to have been made at Edward’s behest for an Arthurian feast, can still be seen in the Great Hall at Winchester (though it was repainted during Henry VIII’s reign).
Finally, many of the bastides established by Edward in Gascony retain their original street plans and some of their original buildings; Monpazier, on the Dordogne, still has the market hall built on Edward’s instructions in 1284.