Visiting Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle is a truly romantic fairytale castle ruin. Set on a hillside with soaring towers and endless crenellated walls. The castle may not be medieval (built between 1812-1822) but it certainly has the appearance of a gothic fortress. If you would like to read more about Gwrych Castle history then click here.
We were fortunate enough to visit the castle on a gloriously sunny day, which certainly added to the castle’s splendour. We entered the castle through the garden entrance which is upon the hill. We quickly came upon the gardens and monkey trees which, thanks to the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, have been greatly restored and looked splendid with many flowers and roses in bloom and a water feature.
We climbed further up the walls and walked along the pathway past many derelict towers and buildings (although from the exterior they looked rather fine) and came upon a few areas that you could explore the interior. Although these rooms are in a dilapidated state it still gives us a glimpse of how grand this castle once was and the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust is working hard to restore the castle to its former glory. At this point you can also catch a glimpse of the once magnificent marble staircase built by the remarkable Winifred, Countess of Dundonald. The staircase’s condition is no longer what it once was and was cordoned off during our visit but you could still imagine how exquisite it once was.
We descended down a long lane with buildings and towers and entered a courtyard with the remains of the house to the side. The stone structure remains on the outside intact with gothic windows and reaches many stories high. Even in its current state it was certainly impressive!
In the area next to the house (and numerous other areas higher up along the walls) you can see quite delightful scenes over the landscape reaching out to the sea (as long as you ignore the car park and look beyond it) there is also a large well kept lawn beside the house (nice for picnics).
With regards to amenities when we visited (2021), there were portaloos next to the car park, no gift shop or cafe and wheelchair access would be difficult. However the site is a work in progress and entrance fees are very reasonable compared to many similar sites.
This castle may not be medieval or have any military defence but what it is is truly a magnificent and beautiful place that creates a huge impact with its scale and has a both romantic and haunting atmosphere (in the nicest possible way).
Date of visit 06.06.2021
Please do update us on any changes regarding the amenities of the castle if you find them at castlesandlegendscom@gmail.com
The Castle is open to the public (when television filming is not happening) for a small fee. You can check opening dates, times and book your tickets through the castle’s website at https://www.gwrychcastle.co.uk