Britain Adventures · Heritage · Castles

Castles of Britain: every Welsh castle worth the journey, and the best of the rest

Wales has more castles for its size than anywhere else in Europe: the great fortresses Edward I built to hold down a conquered people, the castles the Welsh princes built to resist him, the Norman earth mounds that came before them both, and the Roman forts that came before everything. This guide names almost a hundred Welsh sites, region by region, and tells you honestly which you can walk into for free. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland follow.

Key facts

Cadw (the Welsh Government's heritage service) looks after about 130 monuments. Only 27 of the biggest are staffed and charge admission; the rest are unstaffed, free and open at any reasonable time
Free days: Cadw usually opens its paying sites free on St David's Day (1 March), and many sites are free during the Open Doors festival in September
Membership: Cadw members enter all Cadw sites free and get discounts at English Heritage and Historic Scotland sites
Low incomes: £1 tickets for people on Universal Credit and other named benefits at Cadw's staffed sites
By train: 2-for-1 entry at Cadw's staffed sites with a valid same-day rail ticket

Free entrance open access or free to enter With entrance admission charged (members of Cadw, the National Trust or English Heritage may enter free)

North-west Wales: Gwynedd and Anglesey

The heartland of the princes of Gwynedd, and the ground Edward I ringed with stone after 1283. Four of his castles here form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Caernarfon Castle, Caernarfon: Edward I's palace-fortress with banded walls and polygonal towers; scene of the 1969 investiture of the Prince of Wales. World Heritage Site. With entrance
Conwy Castle, Conwy: eight great towers, with the most complete medieval town walls in Britain beside it. World Heritage Site. With entrance
Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey: the "perfect" concentric castle, never finished, with its own dock. World Heritage Site. With entrance
Harlech Castle, Harlech: on a rock above the dunes; held by Owain Glyndŵr from 1404 to 1409. World Heritage Site. With entrance
Criccieth Castle, Criccieth: built by the Welsh princes, taken and rebuilt by Edward, above the sea. With entrance
Dolwyddelan Castle, near Betws-y-Coed: the keep of Llywelyn the Great in the mountains. The inside is open Fridays to Sundays and bank holidays from April to September; on other days you view it from outside. With entrance
Dolbadarn Castle, Llanberis: Llywelyn the Great's round tower above Llyn Padarn, below Snowdon. Free entrance
Castell y Bere, near Abergynolwyn: a Welsh castle on a rock in the Dysynni valley beneath Cadair Idris. Free entrance
Castell Carndochan, near Llanuwchllyn: a remote Welsh hilltop castle above Bala Lake, for walkers. Free entrance
Tomen y Bala, Bala: a Norman motte in the middle of the town. Free entrance
Tomen y Mur, near Trawsfynydd: a Roman fort on the moor, with a Norman motte built inside it. Free entrance
Segontium Roman Fort, Caernarfon: the foundations of the Roman fort that guarded north-west Wales. Free entrance
Caer Gybi, Holyhead: Roman fortlet walls still standing around St Cybi's church. Free entrance
Castell Aberlleiniog, near Llangoed, Anglesey: a Norman motte in the woods, with a later stone fort on top. Free entrance
Deganwy Castle, Deganwy: fragments on twin hills, fought over by Welsh princes and English kings. Free entrance
Penrhyn Castle, Bangor: a 19th-century neo-Norman fantasy built on slate and Jamaican sugar money. National Trust. Read Penrhyn Castle: built on Jamaican slavery. With entrance
Gwydir Castle, Llanrwst: the Tudor home of the Wynn family, privately owned, open in season. With entrance

North-east Wales: the border country

Rhuddlan Castle, Rhuddlan: Edward I's concentric castle, for which a river was straightened to reach the sea. Open in season. With entrance
Twthill, Rhuddlan: the earth motte of the earlier Norman castle, beside Edward's. Free entrance
Denbigh Castle, Denbigh: a great triple-towered gatehouse above the town walls. With entrance
Flint Castle, Flint: the first castle of Edward I's Welsh war of 1277, on the Dee estuary; where Richard II was handed to his rival in 1399. Free entrance
Ewloe Castle, near Connah's Quay: a Welsh castle hidden in the woods of Wepre Park. Free entrance
Caergwrle Castle, Hope: one of the last castles built by a Welsh prince, Dafydd ap Gruffudd. Free entrance
Hawarden Old Castle, Hawarden: a ruin in a private estate, open only on set days. With entrance
Holt Castle, Holt: the remains of a Marcher castle cut into the sandstone above the River Dee. Free entrance
Chirk Castle, Chirk: a Marcher fortress lived in for over 700 years. National Trust. With entrance
Castell Dinas Brân, Llangollen: a hilltop ruin high above Llangollen, with one of the best views in Wales. Free entrance
Sycharth, near Llansilin: the grassy motte of Owain Glyndŵr's manor, burned by Prince Henry's army in 1403. Free entrance
Tomen y Rhodwydd, near Llandegla: a motte-and-bailey by the roadside. Free entrance

Mid Wales: Powys and Ceredigion

Powis Castle, Welshpool: a red-stone castle with terraced gardens and the Clive Museum of treasures brought back from India. National Trust. With entrance
Montgomery Castle, Montgomery: a royal castle on a crag above the little Georgian town. Free entrance
Hen Domen, near Montgomery: the earthworks of the first Norman castle, seen from the lane. Free entrance
Dolforwyn Castle, near Abermule: the last castle built by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales. Free entrance
Aberystwyth Castle, Aberystwyth: Edward I's ruin on the seafront headland. Free entrance
Cardigan Castle, Cardigan: where the Lord Rhys held a great gathering of poets and musicians in 1176; restored and open with a garden and café. With entrance
Cefnllys Castle, near Llandrindod Wells: hilltop earthworks in a loop of the River Ithon. Free entrance
Castell Collen, near Llandrindod Wells: the earthworks of a Roman fort in farmland. Free entrance
Builth Castle, Builth Wells: the great earth motte of a lost Edwardian castle. Free entrance
Painscastle, near Hay-on-Wye: the big earthworks of a Marcher castle. Free entrance
Bronllys Castle, near Talgarth: a round stone tower on a Norman motte. Free entrance
Castell Dinas, near Talgarth: ruins on a hilltop in the Black Mountains. Free entrance
Tretower Court and Castle, near Crickhowell: a round keep and, next to it, a complete medieval manor house. With entrance
Crickhowell Castle, Crickhowell: fragments of the castle in a town park. Free entrance
Hay Castle, Hay-on-Wye: restored and reopened as an arts and heritage centre in the book town. With entrance
Brecon Gaer, near Brecon: the walls and gateways of a Roman fort beside the River Usk. Free entrance

South-west Wales: Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Gower

Carreg Cennen Castle, near Llandeilo: on a 90-metre limestone crag, with a cave passage cut into the cliff. Jointly managed with the farm. With entrance
Dinefwr Castle, Llandeilo: the seat of the princes of Deheubarth above the Tywi valley; the castle is free, but the National Trust car park in Dinefwr Park charges non-members. Free entrance
Dryslwyn Castle, near Llandeilo: a Welsh princes' stronghold on a hill above the Tywi. Free entrance
Llandovery Castle, Llandovery: a ruin on a mound above the car park, with a steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Fychan, executed here in 1401 for guiding Glyndŵr's men. Free entrance
Kidwelly Castle, Kidwelly: one of the best-preserved castles in Wales, with a mighty gatehouse. With entrance
Laugharne Castle, Laugharne: a castle turned Tudor mansion on the estuary, loved by Dylan Thomas. With entrance
Llansteffan Castle, Llansteffan: a ruin on a headland above a golden beach. Free entrance
Newcastle Emlyn Castle, Newcastle Emlyn: ruins in a loop of the River Teifi. Free entrance
Dolaucothi Gold Mines, Pumsaint: the only known Roman gold mines in Britain, with underground tours. National Trust, seasonal. With entrance
Pembroke Castle, Pembroke: a huge round keep, and the birthplace of Henry VII, the first Tudor king. With entrance
Manorbier Castle, Manorbier: a seaside castle, birthplace of the medieval writer Gerald of Wales. Privately owned. With entrance
Carew Castle, Carew: castle, Tudor mansion and the only restored tidal mill in Wales. With entrance
Picton Castle, near Haverfordwest: still lived in, with fine gardens. With entrance
Cilgerran Castle, Cilgerran: towers on the edge of the Teifi gorge, painted by Turner. With entrance
Llawhaden Castle, Llawhaden: a fortified palace of the bishops of St Davids. Free entrance
Wiston Castle, Wiston: one of the best Norman motte-and-bailey castles in Wales, with a stone shell keep. Free entrance
Haverfordwest Castle, Haverfordwest: the ruined castle above the town. Free entrance
Narberth Castle, Narberth: remains in a small park, linked in legend to the Mabinogion. Free entrance
Tenby town walls and Castle Hill, Tenby: medieval walls and the Five Arches gate, with the castle ruins on the headland. Free entrance
Nevern Castle, Nevern: the earthworks and stones of an early Norman castle above the village. Free entrance
Weobley Castle, Gower: a fortified manor above the salt marshes. Jointly managed with the farm. With entrance
Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles: a Norman castle above Swansea Bay, run by the council and open in season. With entrance
Pennard Castle, Gower: a ruin in the sand dunes above Three Cliffs Bay. Free entrance
Loughor Castle, Loughor: a tower on a mound, built over the corner of a Roman fort. Free entrance
Swansea Castle, Swansea: the arcaded ruin in the city centre, seen from the outside. Free entrance
Neath Castle, Neath: the gatehouse towers in the town centre. Free entrance
Nidum Roman Fort, Neath: the foundations of two Roman gateways, preserved among houses. Free entrance

South-east Wales: Glamorgan, Cardiff and Gwent

Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: Roman walls, a Norman keep and dazzling Victorian rooms by William Burges, paid for by coal. With entrance
Castell Coch, Tongwynlais: a fairytale Gothic castle in the woods, also by Burges. With entrance
Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly: one of the largest castles in Britain, surrounded by artificial lakes, with a leaning tower. With entrance
Castell Morgraig, near Caerphilly: the hilltop ruin of a castle that may have been Welsh-built. Free entrance
Morlais Castle, near Merthyr Tydfil: a ruin on a limestone hill, built during a quarrel between two Marcher lords. Free entrance
Ogmore Castle, near Bridgend: a riverside ruin reached across stepping stones. Free entrance
Coity Castle, near Bridgend: besieged by Glyndŵr's men for two years. Free entrance
Newcastle, Bridgend: a Norman castle with a fine carved gateway above the town. Free entrance
St Quintin's Castle, Llanblethian, near Cowbridge: a great gatehouse above the village. Free entrance
Fonmon Castle, near Barry: lived in for centuries; guided tours on set days. With entrance
Chepstow Castle, Chepstow: begun in 1067, one of the oldest stone castles in Britain, on a cliff above the River Wye. With entrance
Raglan Castle, Raglan: a late-medieval palace-castle with a moated Great Tower, slighted after the Civil War. With entrance
White Castle, near Abergavenny: one of the "Three Castles" of Gwent, with a full water-filled moat. Free entrance
Skenfrith Castle, Skenfrith: the second of the Three Castles, beside the River Monnow. Free entrance
Grosmont Castle, Grosmont: the third, on a hill above the village. Free entrance
Abergavenny Castle, Abergavenny: ruins and a free town museum in the keep. Free entrance
Monmouth Castle, Monmouth: the birthplace of Henry V; a fragment of the castle stands beside the regimental museum. Free entrance
Usk Castle, Usk: a privately owned ruin with gardens, open on set days. With entrance
Caldicot Castle, Caldicot: a restored castle in a country park, run by the council. Free entrance
Newport Castle, Newport: the river front of a ruined castle beside the bridge, seen from outside. Free entrance
Caerleon Roman Fortress, Caerleon: the base of the Second Augustan Legion. The amphitheatre, barracks and the National Roman Legion Museum are free; the fortress baths charge. Free entrance With entrance (baths)
Caerwent Roman Town, Caerwent: Venta Silurum, with some of the best-preserved Roman town walls in northern Europe. Free entrance

More Welsh castles and photography on our partner site Wales Britain Adventures, and in our posts Castles of Wales: north, mid and south and Top 50 must-see castles in Wales.

England: the essential castles

Tower of London: see our honest guide. With entrance
Windsor Castle: see our honest guide. With entrance
Dover Castle, Kent: with the wartime tunnels beneath. English Heritage. With entrance
Warwick Castle, Warwickshire: a commercial attraction in a real medieval castle. With entrance
Leeds Castle, Kent: on islands in a lake. With entrance
Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire: Elizabeth I's Earl of Leicester's palace. English Heritage. With entrance
Corfe Castle, Dorset: a dramatic ruin above the village. National Trust. With entrance
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall: on a cliff headland, linked to the legend of King Arthur. English Heritage. With entrance
Bamburgh and Alnwick, Northumberland: two great fortresses of the north. With entrance
Lancaster Castle, Lancaster: a prison until 2011, with guided tours. Read about Lancaster, Britain's forgotten slave port. With entrance
Clun and Wigmore, on the Welsh border, and Bowes, County Durham: atmospheric ruins in English Heritage care. Free entrance
Knaresborough and Guildford: castle grounds in public gardens. Free entrance

More in Castles of England and Top 10 must-see castles in England.

Scotland: the essential castles

Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle: the two great royal fortresses. With entrance
Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness. With entrance
Eilean Donan, Kyle of Lochalsh: the most photographed castle in Scotland, largely rebuilt in the 20th century. With entrance
Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven: on a sea stack. With entrance
Caerlaverock, Doune and Tantallon. With entrance
Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe; Duffus Castle, near Elgin; and Castle Tioram, Loch Moidart, seen from outside only. Free entrance

See also our guide to the heritage and culture of Scotland.

Northern Ireland

Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim: a Norman castle on the shore of Belfast Lough; check opening before you go. With entrance
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim: a ruin on the cliff edge of the Causeway Coast. With entrance
Enniskillen Castle, County Fermanagh: with two museums. With entrance
Dundrum Castle, County Down: a round keep above Dundrum Bay. Free entrance
Belfast Castle, Cave Hill: a 19th-century mansion with a visitor centre and gardens. Free entrance
Dunseverick and Kinbane, Causeway Coast: fragments on wild headlands. Free entrance

See also our guide to the heritage and culture of Northern Ireland.

Visiting tips

Free does not mean easy: many free sites are reached on foot across fields or up steep hills, with no toilets or shelter. Wear boots.
Check before you go: castles close at short notice for storms or falling masonry, and some open only in summer.
Buy a membership if you plan to see more than a handful of staffed castles; Cadw membership also brings discounts in England and Scotland.
Use the train: Conwy, Harlech, Criccieth, Kidwelly, Flint and Chepstow are all close to railway stations, and Cadw gives 2-for-1 entry with a same-day rail ticket.
Prints of our castle photographs: see castle photography, prints and licensing.

Castle tours

Day trips to the castles of North Wales, Windsor and beyond can be booked in advance. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but are always welcome.

The African side of the story

Britain Adventures is an independent partner website. Our partner sites on Africa and its history are where the stories on this page continue:

Pan-African: African Independence · Uganda · Egypt · Sierra Leone · All African Radio Stations
Ghana: Ghana-Net · Cape Coast Castle · Elmina Castle · James Fort, Accra · They Made Ghana · War Cemetery Cape Coast
Across Africa: Kenya Web News · Explore Nigeria · Gambia Vibes · Zambia Vibes
European history: V2 Rocket and Peenemünde · Tannenberg Memorial

britainadventures.com

Castles of Britain – Every Welsh Castle Worth Visiting, Free or Paid, Plus England, Scotland and Northern Ireland | Britain Adventures