Castell Coch

Castell Coch requires an entry fee (for a specific time slot) which needs to be pre-booked through their website, before you can enter the premises . There's a small picnic spot right outside the castle for those Instagram worthy photo ops.

Dubbed as the fairytale castle, Castell Coch or Red Castle was built in the 19th century as a love sanctuary for the 3rd Marquess of Bute and his Lady. Architect William Burges built this 'summer house' ( yeah, wish I had a house like this) on the mediaeval remains of the original structure.

I visited castle coch today (saint David’s day) with my husband children and two other friends with they children. I had no idea it was tickets only and was almost turned away at the gate until I realised I was a cadw member. Unfortunately my friends and her family was turned away! They Wasn’t even aloud to park up in the car park to have a walk through the forest. Anyway as I got into the castle we was greeted by a woman with blonde curly hair. She wasn’t very friendly, didn’t give us no information and told us to go to the shop to get guides. The castle was extremely quiet so I asked if it was any bother if my friend and her family came back to the castle even if they had to pay. I was told no! strictly tickets only. I thought she was extremely rude! There was one man in the drawing room who was extremely helpful and told so many stories about its history, my children loved it. I did have a lovely morning here at such a beautiful place. It’s a real shame it was tickets only and by the seems no one really turned up who got the free entry. And having to turn people away who’s driven over a hour away to get here.
My daughter wants to return with her friends very soon!

Visited today for the umpteenth time, but this time with my kids. I love this place, even if it is a bit fake. It is a Victorian castle build to look like a medieval castle, so it is a lot better preserved than the genuine articles - but that is because it is not technically genuine. However it is a lovely building in a nice location, in beautiful condition inside and out. Today was better than ever as they had children's activities in two rooms and a punch and judy show. I thought my kinds would tolerate 30 mins at most, but we were there two and a half hours. There were staff in costume available to answer questions about the castle, and about history in general. I really enjoyed talking to them with my 8 year old daughter, who had plenty of questions. Entry fee was less than £30 for a family with up to 3 children.

I cannot fault it in any way, but I would point out that it is a Victorian building with no disabled access. The stairs are medieval style spiral staircases, which were never intended to be accessible. If you have limited mobility, you need to be aware of this as you could end up very disappointed by your visit.

I enquired before arrival if I needed to book. I was informed it was necessary, so I was not pleased when I turned up to be told I had to book a slot. After explaining I was informed otherwise, I was then told I had to wait 15 mins as a party had turned up & due to covid, limited numbers of visitors at any one time were in place. I hung around the small shop for ten minutes. You can imagine my surprise when a visitor just turned up at the pay kiosk & was allowed entry inside with no wait!
Anyway, after this annoyance I went around the castle.
Castell Coch is a Victorian aristocrat’s idea of a medieval castle, with a hotchpotch of interior styles. I have to say I just found it ‘OK’. One room looked neglected but the drawing room was my favourite. Cardiff Castle is ten times better, more centrally located & easier to access.
Castell Coch is a place to spend a good hour or so if you are in the area on a wet day, a fan of Victorian Gothic or the architect William Burges.
The cafe was closed, the shop was mediocre & staff distant. Rather disappointing on the whole. I found it hard to rate - it was better than average because it is unique, but it was a stretch to say ‘very’ good.

You can see this little gem of a building from the A470, as you approach, shame there’s not really any place to stop as it would make a great picture. On arrival ‘Tim’ checked our booking and provided details of the one way system in place. The first part of the castle was left largely un-decorated, and has been filled with information about the castle, it’s owner, architect etc. The second bit is lavishly decorated and is a sight to behold. There is an animation in the kitchen, projected onto the plates, showing what meals were prepared, then consumed, with a very satisfying ‘burp’ at the end. On our way out we chatted with Tim, his enthusiasm for the site was infectious, and led me to drill down into more detail about the castle. He also provided recommendations for other places to visit, as our trip to Caerphilly Castle was cancelled due to COVID restrictions. We did visit the place’s he mentioned and were not disappointed. Highly recommend a visit here.

Dropped in to the castle today while on a hike through the woods that surround the castle, reasonably priced (including the tearoom) and the staff could not have been more friendly. Everyone that we spoke to was incredibly helpful and polite.
Spent an hour wandering around the castle and to be honest we could have spent a lot longer, Cadw have done an exceptional job of helping you to interpret the history of the place.
The woods and hills around are exceptionally well waymarked and tidy, all in all an excellent experience.

Built by William Burges under contract to the 3rd Marquis of Bute as a family retreat, it really is a fairy tale location. Set amongst a forest and dominating the high ground, it has fantastic views. The building was constructed on the foundations of an old Welsh castle and the interior is a joy to see. It is very small and will not take long to visit, but there are some wonderful walks through the surrounding woodland and a lovely village pub close by that offers good ‘pub-grub’. There is no café at the castle so make sure you take water with you!! Worth a visit.

We were on a 50k bike ride & needed a boost..Too early in the afternoon for a pub stop in Tongwynlais, so pedalled up to Castell Coch. You can visit the tea room without paying the entrance fee to go round the Castle [which is thoroughly worth doing when time]. The tea room is a delight with delicious welsh cakes and amazing atmosphere!

I found this place interesting. The staff were really friendly and very helpful. There was a device that take around the building and tells you all about the different rooms etc. I found that really helpful. They also provided a map for directions. The whole castle was made so it was one way as best they could. I thought they did it really well. The actual castle is beautiful.

My wife found this on the internet as it was close to where we were staying. Great choice, well laid out. When we entered we were given an audio guide which we used in the various rooms to tell us the history of the place. The tour was well put together and easy to follow. Not too crowded we were able to go at our on pace and spend time in each room to take in all the different interesting items. Great gift shop also with some interesting items for sale.