Best Time to Visit

It’s easy to get to Wales from London by air, train or bus, or to rent a car for an intimate drive through the range of pristine natural landscapes on the way.

Some say it’s possible to experience all four seasons in a day when you’re in Wales, no matter the time of year. So it’s best to dress in warm clothes, layers, with a good rain jacket and an umbrella. So, a light sweater might be useful year round, even in summer.

That said, it’s hard to go wrong in picking a time of year to visit, especially if you dress for the cold, and don’t mind a brisk day. If those things are true for you, then the castles of Wales will not disappoint. 

Parts of Cardiff Castle in the capital are so old they date from 50AD when it was a Roman fort.

The larger structure that now strands around that fort was built by Norman invaders in the 11th century to support their expansion. The Normans had settled in Normandy but were initially vikings – pagan barbarian pirates from Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.

Conwy Castle on the north coast of Wales was built between 1283 and 1289 by Edward I during his conquest of Wales. Views from the battlements look out over the mountains and the sea, and it’s considered an impressive example of military architecture with eight massive towers and high curtain walls. 

Pembroke Castle, another medieval castle in the west, was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke. Its walls are 6 metres thick -- they must have been expecting catapults and trebuchets to hurl heavy rocks or missiles. Eventually, beginning in the 14th century, heavier artillery and gunpowder would devastated castle walls. This forced architects to begin building forts and castles with more moats, ditches, and earth ramparts that could more easily absorb the energy of a cannon.