When we went to Cardiff, we stayed near Caerphilly Castle as we were renting a car and wanted to avoid driving into the city. So of course, it made sense to make a stop into the castle itself.

Honestly, I wasn’t that excited and saw it more out of obligation and “why not?” than interest. I’ve seen a lot of castle ruins. But it was actually really cool! And I definitely thinks it’s worth a visit, not out of obligation or “why not?” but because there’s a decent amount to see.

A Brief History of Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle, or “Castell Caerffili,” was built by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century towards the end of Welsh independence. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, or “Llywelyn the Last,” was a Welsh prince who had gained control of a big portion of north and central Wales. de Clare, who was English, was worried Llywelyn’s power would usurp his own in south Wales so he had the fortress built. The castle complex initially covered a total of 30 acres and was also part of a series of fortresses built for the same purpose. Llyewelyn burned down Caerphilly Castle once in its infancy but it was rebuilt. de Clare was deadly serious about keeping his lands, and apparently had significant funds to defend them.

The castle later fell into the hands of Edward II who gave it to Hugh le Despenser, who added some more ornate details. Over the next few decades, the castle would pass through various hands and be part of various battles until it was virtually abandoned in 1468. In the 18th century, the Marquess de Bute took possession of the castle and a few generations later, a different Marquess de Bute took the steps to restore the castle.

So much of the Caerphilly Castle’s history is impressive to me. The fact that one guy would go to such lengths, and spend so much money (and have it to spend) to build so many fortresses is impressive. The fact that such a huge structure with massive fortified walls would sit there for centuries is mind-boggling to me. But in a way, it’s very lucky because we get to see architecture that is true and virtually unmodified from 800 years ago. And it’s lucky that it fell into the hands of someone who really cared about the history and preservation of the castle.

Visiting Caerphilly Castle Today

Caerphilly Castle is the largest in Wales and the second largest in Britain (depending on how you measure), and yeah, it’s very big and impressive.

The family of the Marquess de Bute, which also owned Castell Coch and Cardiff Castle, had many parts of Caerphilly Castle restored in the 19th century but it was done incredibly well. I wouldn’t have guessed that it had been restored but kept in great condition. Unlike their other castles, only the stone architecture was touched and the decoration was left undone.

But there are many parts of the castle that are left in their ruined but original state. But since it is so large, there’s lots to explore.

One of the most notable parts of the castle is the “leaning tower.” This tower dates to the 13th century and apparently leans at 10 degrees, so it’s older and leans more than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Of course, it’s a lot smaller and much less intact. But it’s still fun to see! The reason for the lean is unknown. It’s suggested that it has to do with the foundation, or it could’ve been blown over by (I assume) a cannon during the English Civil War. I personally think it’s the former, but my knowledge of the case is zero. You’ll need to look into it and tell me what you think.

The way it’s currently designed is to tell the “story” of castle. You follow a route and get to read about the history of the castle and rooms you’re in, some of which have decoration and a reconstructed image. They also tell you about the people, mostly the royalty and nobility, who lived in the castle. There’s a lot to learn and because they have a “route,” it’s a lot easier to explore than some other castles may be.

At the end, you get to see the Great Hall which is quite obviously re-imagined. But I really appreciated this part because it gives you a glimpse of what a medieval Welsh castle would’ve looked like in its heyday.

What I really appreciated about Caerphilly, in contrast to other castles, is that they have one-way staircases! When you have those small, winding stairs and you can’t see up or down to the next level, it is a pain to navigate that with a crowd (if you know, you know). It’s such a small thing but if you happen to manage a castle with winding staircases, take note!

I think if you’re in the area, I definitely recommend a visit to Caerphilly Castle. The medieval part of Cardiff Castle in particular was disappointing and a visit to Caerphilly really offset that. We had also gone to Pembroke Castle and a lot of the history and people overlapped and made sense in the bigger picture.

I thought it would be just a boring ruin but it’s very large, well preserved and well reconstructed, and there’s a lot of information to boot. We spent a good hour or so exploring and it made a lovely morning.

Have you ever been to Caerphilly Castle? What did you think?

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