Currently during Covid, many castles are closed but Caerphilly is one of the only ones that are still open which I appreciate. It is also one of the only national exhibitions in Wales that needs an entrance fee so there's that. Also, it's apparently the largest castle in England which is quite interesting. Here are some of my observations: - The place, which although looks very big, can be walked through in 1.5-2 hours so don't need to budget a lot of time for this. - There's a lot of small passageways and staircases so would not advise bringing a big bag. I do appreciate how many pathways there are though so it seems like you are discovering a castle which is quite fun. - Interesting to learn about the history of this place. They do have a fake dragon area though which I thought was a little bit weird. - The location is great, next to a lot of restaurants in Caerphilly and the train station. Overall, solid castle, would go back again as it makes for a nice morning walk. read more

Caerphilly Castle - Passageways - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

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This magnificent castle - the second largest in Britain (after Windsor) - makes an excellent day out from Cardiff (just 30 minutes away by train). The castle has impressive water defences with a series of huge lake-like moats, and evokes a true mediaeval feel. Construction of the castle was begun be the powerful baron Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Hertford and Gloucester and Lord of Glamorgan, in 1268 as part of his campaign to conquer Glamorgan from the Welsh leader Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native prince of Wales. Rapid progress was made and must of the castle was completed by 1271, despite being attacked and burnt by the Welsh in 1270. Further works gave it its current form by 1290. The castle was attacked in 1294, 1314 and again during the overthrow of Edward II in 1326. The castle was both influential and innovative in its use of concentric walls for defence, later adopted in Edward I in his castle building, and the use of defended water features: these cover some 30 acres. However, the defeat and death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd meant the reason for the castle had effectively disappeared and by the 15th Century it was in decline, and derelict, with its moats drained or silted up, and the walls increasingly robbed of stone, by the 16th. The castle was extensively repaired by the Marquesses of Bute in the 19th Century and given to the state in 1950, after which the moats were reflooded. It is now in the care of Cadw. The approach to the castle is across a wide moat, and through the gatehouse of the heavily defended embankments of the main moat. The walls built to defend these are impressive enough, but are followed by the even more impressive main fortress, situated on an island. This has a double concentric wall with a gatehouse followed by the further main gatehouse and keep. Inside the inner walls is an impressive great hall and behind this what we're luxurious apartments of Gilbert de Clare. You can walk up to the top of a number of the towers for fine views, and there are walkways along some of the battlements. There is a video presentation about the castle's history and some limited displays, although there's not a lot to see apart from the castle itself (ie there are no furnishings). There are however as some themed exhibits for children (including a dragon's lair). Special events take place on summer weekends re-enacting mediaeval warfare with jousts and the like. There's a decent shop at the entrance desk, and in summer a small kiosk selling drinks and snacks. Note there is level access around the main site, but the ramps over the moats can be steep and uneven. Almost all the buildings have steps (the towers have spiral staircases). read more

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Fascinating and historical site, but very much lacking in: audioguides (there are none) information around the site (sparse) safe steps around a very old site Still, worth a visit. read more

If in Cardiff, take the bus or train, it's a quick trip. You will need about 10 mins to walk to castle and about an hour to see it.

An absolutely lovely castle that is still in amazing condition and is open for tours. I was here as part of the Big Cheese Festival in July and there were all sorts of medieval events going on at the time, highlighting the life that surrounds the castle. The castle is well signposted for tourists to understand the various parts, including the drawbridge, the massive moat systems and the gates. They even have a couple of siege engines on display! Dating back to when it was built in 1268 and then extensively restored by the family that owns it in the 1930s, the castle was donated to the government in 1950. It is one of the first castles to be built with a concentric defensive zone, where the lake was expanded to put the castle out of range of the weapons of the time. The Great Hall in the castle is licensed to perform weddings. If you think you might be looking for a unique site, you'd be hard pressed to find something better than this castle! read more

It seems all the castles in South Wales are posing some kind of risk to visitors at the moment - yesterday Castell Coch's drawbridge collapsed and trapped a bunch of tourists, and today I read that Caerphilly Castle's moat has sprouted some kind of algae bloom that can cause mild respiratory problems and skin irritation! If you can brave the algae, however, you're in for a treat. Caerphilly Castle is really impressive - one of the largest medieval fortresses in Britain. Building started on the site in 1268 by the Anglo-Norman marcher lord Gilbert de Clare. The rings of stone wall and water defences are immense and imposing even today. Look out for the famous 'leaning tower', which stands at quite an impressive angle - and the stunning 'great hall' which is now used for various events, including gigs and festivals. It's well worth making the short trip from Cardiff to see this fantastic chunk of history - and you can park fairly close (there's some pay-and-display parking). On site you'll find toilets, a gift shop, two site exhibitions, an audio-visual display and some replica medieval siege weapons. Entry costs £3.60 for adults, £3.20 for concessions, or £10.40 for a family ticket. read more

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Caerphilly Castle is a proper war torn fortress of awesome scale. You can almost imagine the bloody battles than have gone on here centuries ago as you walk around this moat encompassed structure. You've no need to go inside to experience the history but it helps. I was once a best man at a wedding that was held in the main hall. It's a cavern of a room and it was quite daunting for me and my best man's speech. Never the less it was a truly memorable venue. It's a small walk away from the train station and on the way you will walk thorough the town itself. The grounds around the castle are great for a picnics and the ducks and geese in the moat won't mind if you want to share your lunch with them either. read more

Caerphilly Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

I was brought up in Caerphilly and walked passed Caerphilly Castle every day. It's very prominent in Caerphilly being in the centre of the town, and the centre of the whole area. Caerphilly Castle covers a large area and really does offer the visitor a real glimpse into the past and how the people who occupied it lived. The castle is surrounded by a moat which is open to fishing (a permit is required and can be obtained by the fishing shop across the road). Caerphilly Castle has some real works of history from weapons of the day, a learning tower and more. It's also home to a fantastic fireworks display on the 5th November. If your in Wales and in Caerphilly I would HIGHLY recommend a stop by and once you have been, you can always visit the town centre which has gone through some major changes over the years. Caerphilly has a nice visitors centre where you can buy gifts, post cards, books and more. They also have a nice little tea shop (if alittle expensive) called Glanmors which is great to finish off a day. You'll really enjoy the day. read more

Caerphilly Castle - Caerphilly Castle in October - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

This medieval castle has been around since the 13th Century and was built during the time when England was trying to challenge the Welsh for their lands. The castle has seen many battles and restorations but is now in the hands of the Welsh heritage agengy. The castle is surrounded by hundreds of Canadian geese and a lake in which fishermen pass much of their time. There is a festival here every year called the cheese festival and I was at it last year and only missed it by one week this time round! I love this place and you don't even have to go inside the building to see what work went into this place. There are plenty of original features left such as the portcullis and moat. read more

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Most amazing castle north of Cardiff! Worth every quid spent on the entrance fee. Very well laid out, great place to explore all the ins and outs of this castle. According to the information, this was a Norman castle intended to rule and take over the Welsh people. Have to say, this castle was state of the art back then with the offensive ability, defensive construction, moat, and self sustaining castle. They even had a mill that ground wheat into flour for their daily bread. Great photo shots all over - lots of stairs to climb in a spiral... Amazing to spend hours there and wonder what it was like to live in those days. read more

Unlike Cardiff Castle this is a proper medieval castle build in the 1200's. Its actually the second biggest in Britain after Windsor. Because it not in Cardiff itself it often gets overlooked by tourists which is a real shame because its really quite something, and its a lot cheaper to get in than Cardiff. You can't fail to be impressed by the moat and grandeur and all the weaponry and displays. Again its better than Cardiff castle because its far more open for you to walk around the grounds and explore at your leisure, and they haven't tried to renovate all of it and fill it with stuff. Its only 20 minutes from Cardiff and well worth a visit. read more

Caerphilly Castle - official Website Picture - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

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Awesome trip..my son and did a day trip out of cardiff on the train... The castle was much larger than I expected.. A portion of it was closed to the public as there was a movie being filmed..that was nice to watch... The dragons were great photo op... Sadly no tours or details signs..we bought the castle book at the shop..which was helpful..I can't believe that no detailed tours available.. Please note..it is a castle.. Not very limited mobility accessible.. I would recommend a visit read more

Beautiful ruins set right in the centre of Caerphilly town. We parked across the street at what I think was the visitor centre, which was really reasonable at under £2 (I think £1.20) for two hours. There is a very small amount of history about the castle in the first room on the left, once inside the castle's archways. I wish it gave more information about it, which is the one thing I felt was really lacking. The ruins were a lot of empty rooms, though they were restored to a high level. I recommend walking up the very uneven steps to the top, since it gives some great views of the surrounding moat and city. The Great Hall was a closed for a wedding while we were there which was a shame. read more

This castle is truly worth a visit - either if you're a local to South Wales, or just visiting the area. It's a truly majestic castle, with great grounds and a moat. It's easy to transport yourself back in time as you wander around the grounds. When I was last there, the BBC were using the castle to film a children's programme - can't remember the name of it - so we weren't allowed in the large keep, which was a shame. My husband and I are keen photographers, and we certainly put our cameras to use during this visit - the castle is very photogenic. There's also a large duckpond adjacent to the castle - so some bread for feeding them is essential if you've got little ones with you! read more

Caerphilly Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

Quite a large charity shop with a good range of stock including clothes, books, jigsaws, CDS etc. The shop had some changing rooms which I haven't seen in a charity shop before so that people could try things out before buying. The shop was roomy enough for them to display items of furniture , including a very large oak table which was selling for £40. There was also a display cabinet with a number of cameras on sale which looked in very good condition. I did feel that compared with some of the shops I have visited in Cardiff howerver they were rather low on stock overall so would urge anyone who does have any saleable items that they do not need to consider donating them to this shop. read more

.The castle's leaning tower does so at a much greater angle than the more famous leaning tower of Pisa. This a big castle by any stretch of the imagination and it very much dominates the town. Plenty going on throughout the year but particularly in the summer when there are re-enacting days and they bring out the siege engines. Lots of family fun to be had! For a number of years caerphilly castle has also been a favourite Filming location for the Doctor Who team who have a studio nearby. Its not unusual to see a TARDIS parked in the grounds or on the castle ramparts. Not today though sadly.The castle is barely a five minute walk from the railway station which in turn is just a twenty minute train ride from Cardiff. Bring a camera. Caerphilly castle looks spectacular in any weather. Edit: Just discovered dr who was filming here again last week and I missed it! read more

Amazing castle. You can get most out of it just by wandering around the outside. Paid to get in more out of a desire to support the preservation of such an amazing site/sight, rather than out of a great desire to explore the interior. If you haven't been inside a castle like this before though, you definitely should do that. I wish I could have a video of the first time I saw this castle, as I originally managed to go to Caerphilly with no idea there was even a castle there. Truly jawdropping moment! No history in this review. Visit and find out for yourself. Go. Now. read more

Want to visit a fourteenth century castle? With a fourteenth century moat? Then this is the castle for you. It is a stunning castle that is set up on a light green hill and which stares out over and across the city and over the water all around it. They even do wedding receptions here... I had the privilege to dress up and go to a party there once it was lush and very magical. I want to get married in a forest and going back to castle for the reception would be an ultimate romantic finish to the day. I can just imagine every part of the setting and when I go to castles and old fashioned houses they keep helping my imagination grow... That and fictional stories that I love to write when I can. Caerphilly is twenty minutes to half an hour away from Cardiff and it is really a nice drive, but the route is a bit windy for those who feel travel sick, like me! So I suggest air conditioning and sleep, it works wonders for me and you'll be there in no time at all. It's a lovely drive up there with all the pretty country side and there are many great views. I recommend to all, it will be a brilliant kid's day out! read more

Last week I was at a dead end so I decided to meet a friend for lunch in Caerphilly. Newish to the area and the fact that I hadnt been to Caerphilly before I left much earlier than I needed to and arrived an hour and half before my friends lunch break started. Hmm I thought... What to shall I do? Then I spotted Caerphilly castle surrounded by a moat filled with ducks. I headed straight to the local bakers and brought a loaf of bread. Skipping back to where I had last seen the ducks I was pleased they were still there. I ripped open the bag of bread and started throwing it in to the moat like a woman possessed. After a while I notcied that a small little duck at the back of the group seemed to be going without. So on tippy toes I stood trying to throw far enough for him to get some. When he did I smiled widely at myself and felt like I should get a pat on the back. Visiting Caerphilly castle was great... it really made me connect with the child within.... If I am honest I was gutted when my friend joined me and dragged me off the the local cafe! read more

Caerphilly Castle is one of the most impressive castles Wales has to offer. There is something more realistic about Caerphilly Castle than there is with Cardiff Castle and Castle Coch. This is more original and it looks like it was actually built to withstand an attack whereas Castle Coch is best described as a holiday home and Cardiff Castle gives the impression it was built more to make an impression than to serve a purpose as such. Caerphilly is one of Europe's biggest castles, built in 1268 by Gilbert de Clare who was an Anglo-Norman lord. The original structure was razed to the ground by Llywelyn ein Llyw olaf's army in 1270 but after a truce was declared the build resumed in 1271 and what you see today is the result, with a slight exception that there was some remodelling carried out to the Great Hall. Llywelyn did return but the castle was spared after intervention by Henry III. The castle grounds are very well kept and they hold The Big Cheese Festival here (most years) in July over 3 days. For that period the grounds are opened up to the public free of charge and you can see re-enactment battles taking place. The good thing about this is that it really brings the history of the castle to life and you can visualise how it might have been to live in those times when a battle was commencing here. Well worth a visit or two, or three. Just go see it, it's a short journey from Cardiff city centre and it's cheaper to get in than Cardiff Castle (although, Cardiff castle entry is free if you live or work in Cardiff) read more

Very impressive 13th Century castle and the second largest in Britain (after Windsor) - it occupies about 30 acres of land and is encircled by a moat. It has a leaning tower as well! Close to the town and easy to walk round. There's a lovely gift shop at the side too. read more

Caerphilly Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Caerphilly, CAY

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This beautiful castle is very picturesque set above it's moat and full of interesting historical information. They regularly have performances of joust and other demonstrations inside the castle as well as the annual Big cheese festival which is an absolutely fantastic day out. Central location in Caerphilly means it's accessible by car, bus or train. Great value day out read more

I went to a wedding at Caerphilly Castle on Saturday and it was truly amazing. Such a lovely venue for a wedding, the Great Hall was fantastic, it's a large room with a bar at the back but meant that everyone was in the same place rather than spread out. The staff working were fantastic and made the day truly special, I think it was outside catering but the food was gorgeous. The hall had been decked out with tiny lit up christmas trees with ivy around the windows and mulled wine as we all arrived. I'd definitely recommend this to people looking for an unusual wedding venue. read more

An amazing castle well worth the effort to visit. Only 20 minutes by train from Cardiff. Tip; there is no coffee shop at the castle but the information centre across the road sells lovely coffee. read more

Huge concentric castle with unique defensive lake and multiple defensive features . One of uks largest castles .

Caerphilly Castle is beautiful. It has a lovely walk all the way around the castle which is flat so therefore good for elderly or mums with prams. Located just off the town centre its great for a picnic after a spot of shopping. There are often events held here such as the 'Big Cheese Festival' read more

Caerphilly castle is such a beautiful landmark within the small town, it completely dominates the landscape! It is surrounded by beautiful grounds which is lovely to walk around. The main problem is the price. It is very expensive and therefore thats the reason ive only given this 4 stars. read more

The castle is the centre point of Caerphilly. It is surrounded by lush grass and a childrens park. The moat is teaming with fish which can be fished for a small fee. Inside the castle are many attractions including to scale models of medieval weapons such as Trebuchets. read more

Only Four Quid to get in, you really can't go wrong.One of the biggest Castles in the U.K, this really is an astonishing piece of architecture, surrounded by a huge Moat this really is the 'definition' of Castle. read more

Fantastic views from every angle, my cousins wedding reception was held here & atmosphere was lovely especially as sun went down, took stunning photos. read more

A historic castle, set in the centre of caerphilly. Fire works displays & bonfire night. Fishing in the moat.

I only gave this a 4 as I think it is such a shame it is rather expensive to actually go to view inside the main castle,I know maintaining such a building is expensive but I think local people who would visit with relatives from away etc should have a discount. The grounds though are magnificent with a genuine Moat whish you can imagine the occupants of years gone by riding or marching across. The grounds are maintained fantastically. There are several species of birds thriving with the protection of the castle, especially the Canadian Geese. A picnic ,a run,a walk somewhere you can escape with your thoughts. Tranquility if you want or family outing. Right by local shopping centre,nip and get your lunch at tescos a baguette lump of cheese and just tear bits off yummy.(dont forget put your litter in the bin) Please. That way it will stay a lovely place both for us and our visitors. The amazing leaning turret is something that will baffle you. A mystery??? Go see for yourself Enjoy read more

What a lovely place to visit- and I live here! Well, not in the castle, but near enough. Its open for free on certain weekends- for example the big cheese weekend. Where its grounds are turned into a large festival, with stalls selling locally made items- and usually a stage with musical acts. All in all, a great day out- with the castle in the center of it all. Well worth a visit- the largest sites in Wales. read more