Let’s put a pin in Denmark recaps for a day, shall we?
Wales is famous for its high density of castles; supposedly it has more castles per square kilometre than any other country in the world!
With that statistic in mind, we knew that visiting at least a few castles in and around Cardiff was an absolute must during our time in Wales.
After intermittent rain for most of a week, a recent Saturday dawned bright and sunny. It was officially Castle Time!
First up: Caerphilly Castle.
It’s the second-largest castle in the United Kingdom (second only to Windsor Castle) and the largest castle in Wales. While it looks to be in remarkably good condition, that’s thanks to extensive restoration work over the last century. It was originally built in the 1200s by a Norman lord, Gilbert de Clare, looking to control southern Wales and defend English interests in the area. Most notably, he wanted to resist Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native-born Prince of Wales.
Rachel kindly shared her Castle Pass with us, so we were able to get inside the castle for free. (There’s an entry fee to tour the castle, but you can wander around the exterior free of charge.)
Inside, there’s a self-guided route (clearly marked with arrows) that takes you through all the main stops in the castle.
The most iconic feature of the castle is its leaning tower. The Southeast Tower leans at ~10 degrees which is actually a steeper angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa! There’s some debate about why it’s leaning: it’s likely either due to damage sustained during the English Civil War or because of the ground shifting. Either way, it’s the castle’s most recognizable landmark.
I love these pictures of the kiddos! We were all really excited to explore a castle.
When you come in through the main gates, you’re greeted by two giant dragon statues. Wales is famously associated with dragons—a red dragon is front and center on its national flag—and the castle embraces that mythology.
There’s an exterior and interior artificial moat system. The exterior portion was full of GIANT carp, which certainly captured Indy’s attention.
There’s a giant wooden figure “holding up” the leaning tower. The statue is meant to represent John Crichton-Stuart, the 4th Marquess of Bute. His restoration work helped save the castle from falling into complete ruin. Ironically, his hands aren’t even touching the tower. I don’t think he’d help much if it started to collapse!
The interior grounds were lovely and so well kept. A few hours later, this lawn was full of families picnicking.
We really appreciated how easy it was to explore all sorts of little nooks and crannies.
In one part of the castle, they have a collection of costumes. You know we had to make a stop there! Here I am channeling my best queen pose. I’m not sure if I look regal… or evil?
Mirror, mirror on the wall… Belle’s the fairest of them all!
This dress was gorgeous!
Indy went through a few costume changes, including a stint as a court jester. (He’s no Danny Kaye.) Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of that particular outfit.
I thought this giant tunnel running the length of the great hall was very cool. Servants would use this passageway for easy access to various parts of the castle.
There was so much to see and, generally speaking, there was open access to just about everything.
That said, a lot of this castle is definitely not easily accessible. There are near-constant narrow, twisting staircases to navigate. While you can access the courtyard and lower levels of some buildings with a stroller or wheelchair, most of the castle requires climbing stairs and walking over uneven surfaces. This is definitely a destination best suited for people with a good range of mobility.
The Welsh flag!
And the Union Jack.
It was such a beautiful day.
The main dining hall has been reconstructed and was stunning. I loved the rich colours. I wonder if they ever host themed dinners here? I think it would be absolutely magical by candlelight.
These reconstructed wooden fighting platforms would be attached to the castle walls during a siege. Defenders could fire arrows directly downward at attackers. Some sections even included trapdoors in the floor so soldiers could drop rocks (or other unpleasant surprises!) onto anyone trying to breach the castle.
We were treated to beautiful views of the Welsh countryside.
At one point while we were wandering around the exterior of the castle, I looked over and spotted this.
Why yes, those are Indy’s feet!
He is ALWAYS climbing.
Off to one side of the castle is a collection of siege weapons. This section was interesting and explained the various technologies and pros/cons of each design. At the end of the day, most medieval warfare seemed to involve launching large rocks—or things that were on fire—toward your enemies. Rudimentary, but apparently very effective.
The kids wanted to try some forced-perspective photos, so here are my best attempts.
Belle pulling down the tower…
Belle holding up the castle with one hand!
Indy supporting the leaning tower.
And Belle having a seat!
We had a great time exploring Caerphilly Castle and I definitely recommend it as a very easy half-day trip from Cardiff.
The other main castle on my radar was Castell Coch, which is about 5 kilometres away and tucked into the surrounding woodland.
Getting there without a car is a bit tricky. I researched several public transit options and even briefly considered walking from Caerphilly.
In the end, an Uber cost roughly the same as taking the bus but it ended up saving us over an hour of travel time and a significant amount of walking. So we Ubered there and then walked the 5 kilometres back into Cardiff afterward.
Castell Coch has a completely different vibe from Caerphilly.
Large portions were under restoration during our visit, so it felt a bit like an active construction site which took away from the overall experience. Even so, it’s like something out of a fairy tale and it’s easy to see why this site has been used in a variety of TV/film productions over the years.
Although Castell Coch looks medieval, most of what we’re seeing today is actually just reimagining of an earlier castle. In the late 1800s, the Marquess of Bute hired architect William Burges to transform existing ruins into an extravagant “Gothic Revival” fantasy castle. The result is decidedly less about being a military fortress and more about fulfilling a wealthy man’s dreams of owning a storybook castle.
I want a house with a kitchen island… and other people want a castle.
Once again, we were so grateful to Rachel for sharing her Castle Pass with us, saving us the cost of the entry fee!
An audioguide is included with admission and I definitely recommend using it. There aren’t many plaques in the castle, so the audioguide is where I learned most of the history about the castle and individual details about each of the rooms.
Like Caerphilly Castle, this spot is not broadly accessible. There are lots of narrow staircases and uneven surfaces. Which, if you’re an active tween, seems to be half the fun.
This is the main dining hall.
My favourite space was the drawing room. The colours were incredible!
A lot of the artwork in this room was inspired by Aesop’s Fables.
Here’s the Tortoise and the Hare.
There was a lot of red which was eye-popping.
This was the main suite belonging to Lady Bute, wife of the Marquess of Bute.
There would originally have been a chapel on the site, and several pieces of original stained glass have been preserved and are on display.
Our walk back into Cardiff ended up becoming an adventure of its own. Part of the route followed a muddy woodland cycling path, and we were dressed like tourists not hikers. Oh well. Along the way we spotted Welsh sheep, which felt like a very fitting end to the day.
And that’s a wrap on a day of castle adventures.
Your turn.
- Have you ever toured a castle?
- What’s one wish-list item you don’t have in your current home that you most wish you had?
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