Wales is a perfect place for a road trip. There is never very far to drive between interesting places to visit, the roads are mostly quiet and scenic, and they have “castle-ish” castle ruins spread throughout this stunning little country.
We started in the North after crossing the border from Liverpool and it wasn’t long before the hunt was on in earnest to find some of the best castles of Wales.
While the history and scenery will appeal to everyone, kids will also be amazed when you tell them about the real armour-clad Knights that once walked the grounds. And there are plenty more great family activities across the UK when you are all castled out.
Our first experience was at Rhuddlan Castle. With a history dating back to just after the first Welsh War, Rhuddlan was erected by Edward I around 1277. It was the sheer thickness of the walls that stays with me, making me wonder how anything was ever able to penetrate them.
Surrounded on 3 sides by natural waterways and with a view for miles, it is easy to imagine the inhabitants of Rhuddlan Castle feeling extremely safe from the threat of invasion.
Our next stop was to be the most famous castle in North Wales, however, we were amazed at the number of small ruins scattered throughout the countryside. Most were only the remnants of guard posts or gates but one was simply magnificent.
We could not discover the name of this Castle nor find any way to approach it. That didn’t make it any less jaw-dropping or memorable.
By this time the excitement of experiencing these incredible pieces of history was truly bubbling away, and the next stop was anything but a letdown. The largest and most famous of the northern Castles, the place where Prince Charles was crowned Prince of Wales, and a massive display of power by Charles I when it was built around 1283, Caernarfon Castle.
Caernarfon is built on a Point, which means it is almost entirely surrounded by water, making it an imposing proposition to any who contemplated an attack. The Romans had also noticed the strategic significance of this location using it as a Fort centuries earlier. The town displays an interesting mix of Roman and medieval British architecture.
Our next Castle of note is arguably the most famous of the Welsh Castles, Cardiff Castle. It was somewhat disappointing that Cardiff Castle has ownership that keeps it separate from most of the others in Wales.
We had purchased a Pass which gave us entry into a large number of Castles across the country, but on trying to enter Cardiff we were informed they required an entry fee and are not part of the Pass. It was decided not to spend the extra as we felt equally good or better experiences were available on the Pass.
Peeking through the gate revealed little as it appeared there was not much to see barring the central structure. My impression was Cardiff Castle has impressive walls that contain little more than open land. I could be wrong but am not disappointed at refusing to pay to enter.
Just before crossing the South Wales border back into England, we discovered one more Castle, and this one proved to be my favourite. Raglan Castle had everything you would hope for from a visit to a medieval ruin. Plenty of walls standing, a moat, stunning scenery, and the ability to explore and climb without restriction.
Raglan Castle is the baby of the group at a little over 500 years old but has a rich history linked with the English civil war in the mid-1600s. Raglan Castle started to fall into ruin and the land owner allowed stewards to remove the stone from the Castle to maintain other buildings across the estate. This was the perfect way to end our Welsh Castle tour and has left us wanting more… maybe Ireland next time.
Have you visited any Welsh Castles? Do you have a favourite?
Such robust and beautiful castle that have stood through the test of time. No wonder the castles of wales are tourist’s favorite. When I will be in the region, I will like to follow on your trails and visit as many of these as possible.
I am sure that you will love walking through them as much as we did Neha
I have been to Wales twice now. Just for short trips though. And haven’t seen anywhere near to enough. It is several hours drive from London and only warrants a tri for several days. But will need to go there for a week at some point. The castles look amazing! It’s funny I think Wales s completely undervalued by a lot of people Thank you for sharing x Kat I http://www.beautifullytravelled.com
It’s funny to hear the different attitudes towards distance between Aussies and our English cousins. We would drive five hours up the coast for a weekend getaway or eight hours to the Gold Coast for a lone weekend, while Brits seem to see that as a major vacation distance. I hope you get to see it again soon Katharina.
LOVE Wales! I went when I was 18 after reading all of Sharon Kay Penman’s books and was just eating up the history:)
I’m sure I’ll do and England road trip one day Alexis. But when I had to decide which way to drive from Liverpool to London it had to be Wales, and I was thrilled with my decision.
The castles look so beautiful – straight from a fairy tale! I would love to go back to this region of the world and see so much more than I was able to previously 🙁
I’ll be back there one day too Alli. I only had a week and I feel I barely scratched the surface.
Beautiful!! I love to explore castles 🙂 They never disappoint.
I totally agree Christine. I am doing Germany this December and that means more castles, but a vastly different experience I imagine.
I’ve only been to the Blarney castle but these are awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Bobbi, I hope you get the chance to see more at some time.
I do love Wales! It’s got such unique culture and history, these castles are magnificent!
The castles were the highlight Nic, but some of the scenery was also breathtaking. We spent a night in the village of Betws-y-Coed and it was perfect!
You never go wrong when it comes to castles. They have so much beautiful history!
I get my first experience with German castles next month. Should be a very different experience.
Looks like some fairy tale surroundings really 🙂
It can be very hard to convince your mind they are genuinely up to 1000 years old and has such amazing histories.
I love the names of things in Wales. Welsh is a difficult language. There is a large Welsh population (that speak Welsh) in Patagonia! How’s that for a small world.
I had no idea there was a Welsh population in Patagonia, how random. I did not even try any pronunciation in Wales, especially when I visited Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch!
Castles never fail to fascinate me, aside from the structure itself, i love the history that it unfolds.
I’m the same. You learn some history at school, you see movies, but to realise you are standing in the actual place history occurred is special.
I love castles, so I guess Wales will be the next place to be 🙂 I had no idea there were so many ruins of castles left in Wales. I particularly love the castle in the 3rd photo, that one looks huge and amazing!!
When you finally get there Sabine, make sure to buy the Pass at the first castle. It not only saves you a lot of money on entry fees but also comes with a location map and brief history of each castle. You will love it!
First I have to say this is the first article I’ve read from your blog and I LOVE your blog name! Secondly, awesome castle shots. I can’t wait to go to these places myself, they are so beautiful even in ruins.
Thanks Natasha, you are the first person to make any reference to the blog name! Your imagination will run wild when you visit, with scenes of Knights in battle running through your mind.
I love this post! The photos, and castles, are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Emily. As good as the photos may be, they do not express the atmosphere when you are standing on a tower or looking through an archer’s window.
One of the great things about the Celtic countries is the number of abandoned/ruined castles that there are!
Absolutely Damien, I love great natural landscapes as much as the next guy but when they have an actual castle as well… every boy has dreamed of being at Knight at some time in their life and this brings those childhood dreams to life.
These castles are so epic! I don’t really know anything about Wales (Richard Hammond is from there!) but now I really want to go and check these out. Thanks for posting!
There are so many more to see Prianka. It is such a beautiful country.
There is something special about Wales – I think it is the light, the mist that gives it a mysterious aura. I have been there years ago, to Bettsgelert. It was sooo out of the way, so hard to get to, and so beautiful.
I agree about the “something special” Claudia. I loved everything about Wales, from the little villages, the ruins, the scenery to the traditional pubs and Inns.
We did this last year but didn’t get to the Cardiff Castle! Loved to visit ruins like you. So much history!
I would go back to explore more at a moments notice if the chance came up Carol.
I’ve never visited a Welsh castle before, let alone visited Wales. It looks very cool to be surrounded by so much history though.
I think a lot of people bypass Wales when the visit the UK Lexi. It always seems to be about London, a bit of Scotland, and the Ireland if you have time. But Wales is truly beautiful and deserves some time to explore.
Great photos! I’ve always wanted to visit castles. Caernarfon in particular looks amazing with the circular tower. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Amanda. The most interesting thing for me was reading the history while you are standing there and trying to comprehend the fact medieval battles took place on the very spot on which you stand.
What great pictures, and what a great idea – Castle Hunting! The “mystery ruins” are very pretty as well. I love the idea of being able to drive through the country and see buildings that are soaked in hundreds of years of history. Thanks for sharing! #TheWeeklyPostcard
We had a lot of fun in Wales and I would love to get back there and slow the pace. We only had 7 days which was nowhere near enough. The castles are amazing but also small towns, unchanged for hundreds of years, stunning country villages, and the traditional Inns and Pubs. We loved every minute.
My family spent a summer in Britain and it felt like my dad dragged us through nearly every blasted castle ruin in the kingdom. Only a few stand out in my memory, Harlech, Caernarfon and Cardiff among them. Of the three, Cardiff was my favorite, probably because its interior is so sumptuous. If you google “cardiff castle interior images” you might regret giving it a miss. Perhaps Cardiff Castle needs to market itself better at the door. 😉
I didn’t know that about Cardiff Linda. I probably would have passed anyway as I had just been through Italy and France, and we had seen more than enough stunning interiors through the Palaces and Cathedrals. I’m more about imagining the castle during battle rather than the Ball.
I remember visiting Conwy Castle many years ago and being just blown away by it. Wales is a great place to go castle hunting.
Absolutely Lyn. Beautiful scenery and historic ruins, always a great combination.