Welsh castles itinerary

Wales is said to have more castles per square kilometre than any other country in Europe: about six hundred, from Norman border fortresses to the ruins of Welsh princes perched on hilltops, and the great "iron ring" that the English king Edward I built in the 13th century to crush rebellion in the north. Four of these castles, Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris, are jointly a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered among the finest examples of medieval military architecture in the world.

This seven-day itinerary crosses the country from south to north: it starts on the English border at Chepstow, passes through Cardiff and its fairy-tale Victorian castles, heads down into Pembrokeshire, where the first Tudor king was born, and climbs the west coast to Edward I's great fortresses, with the mountains of Snowdonia as a backdrop. It is a road trip through green valleys, wild coastline and towns where you hear Welsh spoken, one of Europe's oldest languages.

Day 1: Chepstow and Caerphilly

From the English border you enter Wales across the River Severn. Chepstow Castle, on a cliff above the River Wye, was begun in 1067, just a year after the Battle of Hastings, and is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Its wooden doors, dated to around 1190, are thought to be the oldest castle doors in Europe.

In the afternoon, about 45 minutes away, Caerphilly Castle is the largest in Wales and the second largest in Britain after Windsor. It was built from 1268 by Gilbert de Clare to stop the Welsh prince Llywelyn, and is surrounded by a system of artificial lakes and dams that made it almost an island. Its south-east tower, split perhaps by mining during the Civil War, leans more than the Tower of Pisa.

Where to stay: in Cardiff, for two nights.

Day 2: Cardiff and Castell Coch

Cardiff Castle tells two thousand years of history in a single enclosure: the walls of a Roman fort, a Norman keep on an artificial mound and a palace transformed in the 19th century by the architect William Burges for the third Marquess of Bute, then one of the richest men in the world. The interiors are a Gothic Revival dream of gilded ceilings, painted parrots, an Arab room and themed halls: they are visited on a guided tour.

In the afternoon, just 10 km north, climb to Castell Coch, the "red castle", rebuilt by Burges himself on the ruins of a medieval fortress. With its conical towers in the middle of the woods it looks straight out of a fairy tale, and its interiors, with a drawing room painted with stars, butterflies and scenes from Aesop, are among the most fanciful in the country. If you have time, stroll around Cardiff Bay or visit the National Museum Cardiff.

Day 3: Carreg Cennen and Pembrokeshire

Drive west. Carreg Cennen Castle, near Llandeilo, is perhaps the most spectacular ruin in Wales: it stands on the edge of a limestone crag about a hundred metres high, above the hills of the Brecon Beacons. With a torch you can go down a passage cut into the rock to a cave beneath the castle. By the ticket office is a farm with long-horned cattle.

In the afternoon you reach Pembroke, where the great castle above the river, with its round keep over 20 metres high, was the birthplace in 1457 of Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, first of the Tudors. Beneath the castle opens a large natural cavern, the Wogan Cavern, reached by an internal staircase.

Where to stay: in Pembroke or Tenby, for two nights.

Day 4: the Pembrokeshire coast

This is a day by the sea. The Pembrokeshire coast is Britain's only coastal national park, with cliffs, golden beaches and colourful villages. In the morning visit Tenby, the walled town with pastel houses around its harbour, and nearby Carew Castle, with its Elizabethan façade and a tidal mill. In the afternoon head to St Davids, Britain's smallest city, with its cathedral hidden in a hollow and the ruins of the Bishop's Palace.

Day 5: north to Harlech

Follow the coast of Cardigan Bay north, stopping at Aberystwyth, a university town by the sea, and Machynlleth, where in 1404 the rebel prince Owain Glyndŵr gathered his Welsh parliament. You reach Harlech Castle, built by Edward I between 1283 and 1289 on a crag once washed by the sea: ships could supply it by a fortified stairway. During the Wars of the Roses it held out through a seven-year siege, the episode that inspired the famous song Men of Harlech. From the top of the towers you can see Snowdon and the Llŷn peninsula.

Where to stay: in Harlech or at Portmeirion, the Italianate village 20 minutes away (see Portmeirion).

Day 6: Caernarfon and Beaumaris

Caernarfon Castle is the mightiest of Edward I's ring. Its polygonal towers and bands of different-coloured stone were perhaps inspired by the walls of Constantinople, to give the castle an imperial air. Edward had his son born here in 1284 and made him the first English Prince of Wales; in 1969 the investiture of Charles, now King, took place here. Walk the wall passages and climb the Eagle Tower.

In the afternoon cross the Menai Strait on Telford's suspension bridge to the island of Anglesey and Beaumaris Castle, begun in 1295 and never finished. It is considered the most technically perfect castle in Britain: symmetrical concentric walls, a water-filled moat and a small dock for ships. Not far away is the village with the longest place name in Europe, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, fifty-eight letters in its full version.

Where to stay: in Conwy, for one night.

Day 7: Conwy

Conwy Castle and its town walls, over a kilometre long with twenty-one towers, form one of the most complete medieval fortified ensembles in Europe. Walk the walls to see the town from above, visit the castle with its eight towers and head down to the quay, home to the smallest house in Great Britain, less than two metres wide. In town, Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan merchant's house, is worth a visit. Nearby, Penrhyn Castle, a 19th-century neo-Norman fantasy built on the profits of the slate quarries, shows the other face of Welsh history.

From Conwy it is an hour and a half back into England to Manchester or Liverpool, or take the train along the north coast.

How much it costs

To save money: almost all the castles on this route are run by Cadw, the Welsh heritage body, which sells a 3- or 7-day Explorer Pass valid for Chepstow, Caerphilly, Castell Coch, Carreg Cennen (by arrangement), Harlech, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Conwy and many more. Cardiff Castle belongs to the city, Pembroke is private and Penrhyn is National Trust.

Practical information

• Opening: Cadw castles are open all year, with shorter hours in winter; some close over Christmas.
• Visiting: many castles involve narrow, steep spiral stairs; wear comfortable shoes. Caernarfon and Conwy are partly accessible.
• Language: signs are bilingual, Welsh and English; learning to say diolch, thank you, is always appreciated.
• Without a car: the north coast, with Conwy, Bangor and Holyhead, is served by train; Caernarfon and Beaumaris are reached by bus from Bangor.
• Documents: passport and ETA, see documents and ETA.

Variations

• Red Powis Castle: near the English border, National Trust Powis Castle has 17th-century terraced gardens among the finest in the UK.
• The Welsh Marches: between Chepstow and Monmouth lie Raglan Castle and Tintern Abbey.
• With Snowdon: from Caernarfon add a day to climb Snowdon or ride the Welsh Highland Railway steam train.

What to read before you go

To get into the spirit of the trip: The Mabinogion, the collection of medieval Welsh tales with some of the earliest stories of King Arthur, and a good history of Wales. See also our pages on Wales, the history of Wales and Welsh traditions.

Final tips

• Pace: one major castle in the morning and one in the afternoon, with the drive in between, is the right rhythm.
• Combinations: this itinerary links well with the King Arthur legends itinerary, which ends in Snowdonia.
• A tip: in Conwy, walk the walls at sunset, when the light colours the castle and the estuary: it is the finest view in north Wales.

See also our other UK itineraries.

Caernarfon on the map

Nearby