Caerphilly Castle is Wales’ largest castle and has a fascinating story to explore – including the leaning tower that out leans Pisa! From 1268 de Clare constructed the biggest castle in Wales — second only to Windsor in the whole of Britain. Massive walls, towers and gatehouses were combined with sprawling water defenses to cover a total of 30 acres.

Earl William fitz Osbern, a close friend of William the Conqueror, started constructing Chepstow Castle in 1067. The well conserved remains sits high above the River Wye, controlling this key access point. You can also visit the Port Wall around Chepstow.

Castell Coch, or the ‘Red Castle’, rises up from the ancient beech woods of Fforest Fawr like a vision from a fairy tale. But it’s no exotic folly. Underneath the mock-medieval trappings created by William Burges for the third Marquess of Bute, you can still trace the impressive remains of a 13th-century castle, once used as a hunting lodge by the ruthless Marcher lord Gilbert de Clare.

One of the most imposing castles has to be Raglan Castle which sits overlooking the Vale ofUsk, and was more a castle/palace than a defensive structure.

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Cardiff Castle is in the heart of the city, a truly remarkable site with a history that spans over 2000 years. Roman soldiers slept here, noble knights held court here, and the Bute family, with extraordinary wealth and vision, transformed the Castle into a romantic Victorian fantasy.

Antique ceilings, fireplaces, a moat, battlements, dungeons - in short, over 800 years of history, which also included Celtic kings defying the Romans, ghosts wailing on stormy nights, executed pirates, and even a witch called Mally-y-Nos.

The museum, which was founded on 2nd July 1959, is located in a Regency building, built on top of a Norman motte within the grounds of Abergavenny Castle. Work started to build the Castle in 1087 and it is renowned as the site of a massacre of Welsh noblemen in 1175.

The original castle here was most likely a less sophisticated earthwork, with the remains standing today dating from a later building period of renovation in the 1180s. At that point, the castle was held by Henry II, and this royal connection probably explains why it is so well constructed.

Ogmore Castle’s earliest defensive features, with the banks and ditches are still clearly visible. There is a walk route from here to the Merthyr Mawr sand dunes and Candleston Castle.

The defensive Three Castle of Gwent (White Castle, Grosmont Castle and Skenfrith Castle) where originally wooden structures later replaced with the strong structures that can be explored today (all are free to visit). If you have an energetic group then you can link these 3 castles with a 19 mile walk!!  If time is limited visit just one of the three - we suggest White Castle.