One year after the reopening of Caerphilly Castle’s Great Hall, Wales’ largest castle is celebrating a major increase in visitor numbers, conservation milestones and cut-price tickets to ensure access for all.
The Great Hall reopened last July following an £8million programme of preservation and refurbishment by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.
In the twelve months since, Caerphilly Castle has become one of Wales’ most popular heritage destinations and is now in the top 5 most visited Cadw sites this year. Visitor numbers surged following these first phase of works, which also included improved accessibility, enhancements to the inner east gatehouse and the opening of the medieval water-gate passageway. They are now 20% above the figures for the years prior to the Covid Pandemic.
This summer, Cadw is continuing essential conservation works to the walls that form the outer defences of the castle and help retain the lakes which surround it. Specialist contractors have been working on the South Dam platform wall in recent weeks, with members of the public able to see the team at work using rope-access techniques to carefully remove vegetation and repoint stonework using traditional lime mortar.
From early July Cadw’s in-house heritage conservation team, Cadwraeth, took over conservation of the North Dam platform wall – with the work providing a valuable opportunity for one of Cadw’s newly appointed trainee stonemasons to develop their skills on a nationally significant monument.
The Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan, said:
“Caerphilly Castle is such a special place to many, and these past twelve months have shown just how much people value having such a magnificent monument restored and brought back to life.
“The response from visitors has been wonderful – from families discovering the castle’s medieval stories for the first time to communities reconnecting with their heritage. It is good to see that Caerphilly is now one of our most visited Cadw sites, and that our £1 ticket scheme is helping more people access it, regardless of their circumstances.”
The £1 ticket scheme for Universal Credit recipients, also launched a year ago, has seen strong take-up at Caerphilly with almost 1,400 visitors using the scheme.
The Minister continued:
“The conservation work you can see taking place on the castle walls right now – including our own trainee masons developing their craft on one of Wales’ greatest monuments – is proof of our ongoing commitment to protecting this place for future generations.
“But wherever you are in Wales, there will be an incredible Cadw site within reach. I’d urge everyone to discover theirs and make a visit this summer.”
Planning is underway for Phase 2 of the enhancements, which will focus on improving the visitor welcome and experience.
Dr Kathryn Roberts, Chief Executive of Cadw, said:
“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the dedication of everyone at Cadw and our partners who have worked so hard to bring Caerphilly Castle back to life.
“Seeing increased numbers of people walk through its gates, discovering its stories and connecting with their heritage, is exactly why this work matters. Caring for this remarkable monument is a real privilege and we are working to ensure that it remains at the heart of its community for generations to come.”
The castle’s transformation is part of the wider Caerphilly Town 2035 placemaking programme – a partnership between the Welsh Government, Caerphilly County Borough Council and Transport for Wales – which aims to regenerate the town and ensure the castle continues to be at the heart of community life for generations to come.
