A visit to Castell Coch: The Fairytale Castle
This summer holiday I’ve been trying to think of new places to take our girls. We’ve done the usual farms and parks, so I wanted to try something a little different.
A few weeks ago I took the girls to Pughs Garden Centre to take part in their butterfly ball craft activity. We decided to visit the café afterwards and discovered that you could see Castell Coch from the seating area.
Peaking out from the surrounding woodland rather majestically, Castell Coch had caught our girls attention.
“Mummy, what’s that castle?” they asked excitedly!
It’s funny as my sister got married there and the girls were actually her bridesmaids! That was almost two years ago now though so I wouldn’t expect them to remember!
Castell Coch, the red castle, is more commonly known as the fairy-tale castle among locals and it’s easy to see why.
So one warm, sunny, Sunday, my husband I decided to take the girls there for a visit. It’s pretty easy to find and the entrance is quite noticeable so you shouldn’t miss it.
There’s ample free parking available which is great. As we walked up toward the castle the girls were in awe of it! R commented that it was massive and M noticed the ‘funny shaped’ windows!
The girls enjoyed walking in and out of the trees as we approached the drawbridge that leads to the castle entrance.
Open from 9.30am to 6pm daily, we were pleased to discover that under fives are free so we didn’t need to pay for the girls. It cost us just £12 to enter, £6 each for my husband and I.
The lady who greeted us gave us an information leaflet and explained that there was an exhibition on at the moment. She also offered us a free audio guide.
As we entered the main courtyard we took a right turn and wandered down some very narrow stairs which lead us to what we think may have been a dungeon.
The girls brought their torches with them, and it’s kind of a good thing that they did as it was quite dark in there!
The next room we entered had a fun animal ‘optical illusion’. We spun the spinner and as we peeked in through the gaps the images of the motionless animals inside came to life!
The girls thought this was great, as did I!
We then wandered up the next set of stairs into a room which had a model of the Castell Coch on display. My favourite thing so far were the windows. The design and the shutters were beautiful.
The girls enjoyed wandering around the room and answered some questions I asked them, such as what shape the windows were etc!
R rather excitedly pointed out a fireplace!
My husband enjoyed reading the information about the Castle that was displayed on the walls, as did I.
The girls enjoyed exploring and looking out of the windows at the various views the castle has.
We climbed another flight of stairs and entered a room which had a display case in filled with hounds and horses.
The sign above it explained that the Pentyrch Hunt was associated with Castell Coch for much of the 20th century and used to meet there regularly before setting off.
R pointed out yet another fireplace and took the opportunity to look out of the window, but there wasn’t much to see from this room as the window looked out onto the balcony which we explored next.
The girls enjoyed opening and closing the shutters.
I did manage to take a pretty impressive, even if I do say so myself, birds eye view photo of the inner courtyard!
The next room we entered was the chapel. Inside this room were beautiful stain glass windows of the saints.
We then wandered out onto the balcony where the girls found a door that was the perfect height for them both!
The door was locked which sparked the girls imaginations and curiosity as to what was behind the door!
We then entered the kitchen which had a lovely looking oven in!
I’d love to have an oven that size in my home! It also had the biggest dresser in that I’ve ever seen!
The next room was the one where my sister got married. I’d forgotten just how beautiful the room was! The ceiling is amazing!
The colour, the design, the way the light shines on it! There were big beanbags on the floor so the girls and I took the opportunity to lye down and admire the ceiling!
Inside this room there was a table with a number of binoculars on. The girls took it in turns to look out of the windows at the view. In the adjoining room there was also a large telescope that was pointed towards Penarth Pier.
Everything about this room was beautiful. The fireplace, the walls, the ceiling, everything! I can certainly understand why so many couples choose to get married here.
We then explored the bedrooms, this included Lord Bute’s Bedroom, which was a lovely shade of green. The girls spotted the bath and thought it was a pretty funny looking bath! I asked them if they could imagine bathing a bath like it and there were lots of giggles!
The Marquess of Bute’s bedroom was a big room, but what surprised me the most was the size of the bed. It looked tiny!
We then explored some more. Here are some photos.
We then discovered a room that was pretty interactive.
Headphones were situated all around the room which gave out information about the castle and it’s history. The girls enjoyed listening to these!
In the same room were some pieces of paper and stencils, along with some colouring pencils. The girls made two pictures each!
I did also notice that there is a gift shop and also tea rooms, but we didn’t make use of these.
Overall, we had a superb morning out at Castell Coch and would definitely recommend a visit!
6 Comments
Two Tiny Hands
August 17, 2016 at 5:57 am
What s lovely well managed place with lots of things to do. Love the old tin bath and kitchens. Looks like a lovely place to visit. #bloggerclubuk
Stephanie Kirsch
August 17, 2016 at 6:23 am
Wow! What a beautiful castle! It really does look like one out of a fairytale, your sister is very lucky to have got married in such a beautiful venue. #bloggerclubuk
Notmyyearoff
August 17, 2016 at 7:54 am
It really is very fairy like isn't it? I love castles and I think I'd really enjoy wandering about here. Those ceilings look stunning!
Emma Plus Three
August 19, 2016 at 8:50 pm
What a beautiful looking castle! Looks like there was plenty to see and do there too x #BloggerClubUK
Helen Gandy – Beautiful Things
August 23, 2016 at 11:56 am
I absolutely love doing things like this, I would love to visit here looks like such a fun day out! Thanks for linking up lovely #bestandworst
Laura Clark
August 23, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Looks beautiful! And really does have the princess feel with the turrets #bestandworst