I will get straight to the point. Caernarfon Castle is by far one of the best castles we have ever visited. We have visited every castle in the North East, including the "boring" ruins and Caernarfon Castle is just on another level.
About Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle is one of the most famous castles and is recognised around the world. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. One of four castles to be granted that status in Wales. Caernarfon Castle sits in a walled town that is very picturesque and the climb up to the top of a tower is worth it for the views alone. Birthplace of the first Prince of Wales and then saw King Charles bestowed with the title in 1969. This castle has so much history behind it.
The castle begun in 1283 and when building work stopped in 1330 it still wasn't anywhere near complete. It is one of a group that still remains in a state of completeness.
King Edward I of England began to replace the wooden sections with the stone structure you see today, after England defeated Wales.
When King Edward I and Queen Eleanor first returned, the Queen was pregnant and on April 25, 1284 Eleanor gave birth not just to a son, Edward of Caernarfon, but to a new royal dynasty. You can find a fantastic display in one of the rooms which tells you all about the story of from when Eleanor was born up until her death.
I would highly recommend purchasing a guide book.
Our visit
On our visit to Caernarfon Castle it was a wet and windy day, but that wasn't going to stop us enjoying our visit. We headed for the huge gateway into the castle, where we were greeted by friendly staff. We then realised the sheer scale of the castle and just how big it actually was. Pretty much every part of the castle is open to being explored so we set off to the right and headed up the towers to the top, which had some fantastic views across Anglesey and the mountains. We found murder holes, more steps to more towers, long corridors and the fantastic Museum which is included in your admission. The museum which is called The Royal Welsh fusiliers museum was full of interesting artefacts such as guns, uniforms and lots more. We were really surprised actually because the whole time we were there ,we only came across a few other families so it was lovely and quiet. We would definitely go back to this majestic beast of a castle on our next visit. You get a true feel for how life was like and it is a super impressive castle to explore. You can easily spend the full day. Make sure to check out the walls around the town too.
Good to know
Assistance dogs only
You can find two public car parks within a 5 minute walk
Toilets on site including baby changing and accessible toilets
Access to the visitor centre has steps
Terrain - Steep steps, grass, can be slippery if it.s wet, narrow walkways. The new viewing deck is accessible to all.
Café
Gift Shop
Tickets- £40 for a family although if you are English Heritage members you get half price entry in your first year and free entry after that.
Our top tips for visiting
Sturdy walking shoes recommended
Be weather prepared
Definitely pick up a guide book
I would recommend allocating around 4 hours to get around everything.
Address
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Ditch
Caernarfon
LL55 2AY