Situated near Caerphilly Rugby Club and right next to Caerphilly Golf Club, the Leisure Centre…read morecompletes the trifecta of main sporting venues in Caerphilly town. With a large, 25 metre, four lane swimming pool and a smaller 5 metre pool for beginners, Caerphilly Leisure Centre is a great place to go if you fancy a dip or want to churn out a few lengths. The council run centre offers a good variety of activities for the fitness focussed Caerphilly resident. While the gym isn't as good as other specific gymnasiums in the area, it's as good a gym as any council run fitness facility I've been to. There is also a squash court and a large hall for circuits, football and basketball as well as a wide range of other sporting activities. In addition to these facilities there is also a sauna and steam room for those wishing to relax and let their muscles recuperate. A good facility with a great range of activities on offer.

Currently during Covid, many castles are closed but Caerphilly is one of the only ones that are…read morestill 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.

This magnificent castle - the second largest in Britain (after Windsor) - makes an excellent day…read moreout 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).

My wife and I are so glad we hired Guy Milnes for our wedding day in London, November 2017…read more He was an absolute pleasure to work with and has given us so many lovely photo's of our special day. He was friendly, professional and knowledgeable and has a manner that outs everybody at ease. He was very patient with our young daughters who are 1 and 3 years old so not easy ages to shoot. We now have some absolutely beautiful shots of them as well as our venue, family and us on our big day. We'll definitely be recommending him to others and are hiring him again for our reception in 2018. Ryan and Charlotte Wharton

I employed Guy Milnes Photography to cover my 10 year old nephew's birthday party. We were all very…read moreimpressed with the results. Guy was unobtrusive and made the children feel at ease capturing some very natural shots. We would recommend him to our friends and would definitely hire him again.

St Cenydd Leisure Centre is a council run fitness facility on the site of St Cenydd Comprehensive…read moreSchool. In an area of town that doesn't have a lot to offer within walking distance, it provides a great service to the surrounding residents, with a gym and dance studio upstairs and a large hall downstairs that can be hired out for football, netball, etc. The gym has a good selection of utilities to get a full, effective workout done, with a full dumbbell rack (with weights ranging from 7.5-45 kilos), a lat pull-down machine, leg extension and leg curl machines and a chest press, as well as various cardio equipment and rowing machines. However, as it is a council run gym, there are some factors that can be quite annoying at times when trying to fit in a consistent training routine, such as frequent holiday closures. Also, as it is used by the school during school times it means that facilities are closed to the public in school hours. One of the main let-downs of this facility is its lack of a swimming pool. With most other leisure centres in the surrounding area owning a pool, it's a black mark against this venue; which is a shame as it could have easily made this good leisure centre a great one.

I didn't even know this leisure cente existed!!! I was looking for a venue to host my little boy's…read morefirst, proper birthday party. This place was recommended by a friend. They have a fantastic dance studio which is hired out for parties. It is light, airy and spacious. The receptionist is first class at her job; she is very helpful and friendly and puts you at ease. There is a fantastic atmosphere as you go in and the place is buzzing!! It is extremely well used and very popular! I am so glad I have found this gem of a leisure centre!!!