Here’s my guide to the best things to do in Caerphilly, home to the famous Castle and Cheese, gateway to the South Wales Valleys, and my home town.
Most visitors come to Caerphilly to see its Castle, perhaps stop for a cup of coffee and are off on their way. However, having spent around three decades of my life there, I have to say there’s a lot more to it. You just need to go beyond the town centre to seek out some of the best places to visit in Caerphilly.
It’s one of the main gateways to the South Wales Valleys, with a superb forest drive and great country walks to discover, not to mention a few choice country pubs hidden away down the back roads.
Caerphilly also has more history to seek out, including two 16th century manor houses, one a living history museum, the other one of the best places to stay in South Wales. Enjoy!
Why Visit Caerphilly
Caerphilly has one outstanding, world-class attraction, its stupendous Castle which is the second largest in the UK after Windsor Castle.
Caerphilly is probably the best town in the South Wales Valleys to visit, with some great countryside walks in the hills above the town and superb views from the Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel and beyond. There are also some fine country pubs where you can refuel and refresh too.
There are also plenty more things to do in Caerphilly and the surrounding area, from the excellent Llancaiach Fawr living history museum to the splendid Y Fan, a restored 16th century mansion that’s now a stunning boutique B&B.
Caerphilly is also a great base for exploring South Wales, whether you’re heading into Cardiff, Newport, the Wye Valley or west towards Swansea and the many wonderful Gower beaches.
Things To Do In Caerphilly – A Brief Introduction
Caerphilly is one of the larger towns in the South Wales Valleys, and is located seven miles (11 km) north of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. It is best known for its tremendous Castle, and also as the home of Caerphilly Cheese, one of the most famous Welsh food products.
The town of Caerphilly is at the southern end of the County of Caerphilly, which encompasses the Rhymney Valley and part of the neighbouring Sirhowy and Ebbw Valleys, extending as far east as the village of Risca.
1. Visit Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle is far and away the main reason to visit Caerphilly. It’s the best of all the castles in South Wales (sorry Cardiff), one of the first British castles to be built with water defences to a concentric plan (with layers of walls and defences to break through).
I think that Caerphilly Castle deserves the same recognition as the four UNESCO World Heritage Castles in North Wales (Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris) but it has never quite reached that level.
It’s a monster of a castle, built by the Norman Earl of Gloucester Gilbert de Clare to protect his holdings in Glamorgan to the north of Cardiff. At thirty acres (12 hectares) it’s the second largest Castle in the UK after Windsor Castle, and its lakeside setting makes it one of the most picturesque and romantic castles in Wales.
Caerphilly has always been a brilliant castle to visit but in recent years has got better and better. The east inner ward towers were opened up a decade ago, and the Castle is now home to smoke-breathing dragons, wonderful for kids to see. And don’t miss the Leaning Tower, which out-leans that of Pisa.
Caerphilly Castle tickets can be bought from the ticket office just inside the Gatehouse. They are £10.60 for adults, £7.50 for 5-17s, and £10 for seniors.
See also: 15 Best Castles near Cardiff to visit
2. Caerphilly Mountain Walk
The Caerphilly area is great for hill walking, and by far the most popular things to do in Caerphilly is the short, easy walk is to the summit of the mountain, which is 888 feet (271 metres above sea level).
Most people park up outside the Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar, cross the road and follow the short, undulating route to the summit. The views from there are superb.
To the north, you have a great view of the Castle and town, with the Rhymney Valley beyond. On a clear day you can also just see the Brecon Beacons summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du peeking above Mynydd Meio, to the left of the town centre.
Turn around and south you can see much of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the Bristol Channel and the hills of Exmoor in Somerset.
3. Llancaiach Fawr Manor House
When I lived in Caerphilly, the Tudor Llancaiach Fawr manor house was the second local day trip for guests after the Castle. I must have been there twenty times with different friends over the years, and nearly everyone said it was one of their favourite things to do in Caerphilly.
Most visitors just go on the standard Manor House tour, taken around by a guide dressed in period costume with 17th century conversation and phrasing making the immersion complete. The year is 1645, King Charles I has recently visited owner Colonel Edward Prichard and the Civil War is raging. The tour – conducted by a servant – takes you around the whole house and lasts around 90 minutes, and is often hilarious.
You can delve deeper into the house’s history by joining a Llancaiach Fawr ghost tour during the winter months. It is one of the most haunted buildings in Wales. I went on a ghost tour around twenty years ago, and saw a sheet on a bed mattress move as if someone was lying on it. Whatever was lying on it was invisible…..
4 Cwmcarn Forest Drive and Twmbarlwm
One of the best things to do in Caerphilly county has recently been reopened after being closed for six years.
The Cwmcarn Forest Drive takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery in South Wales, an 8-mile drive through a hilly forest with viewpoints over the surrounding countryside.
One of the highlights is the short, steep hike up Twmbarlwm, one of the highest points in the South Wales Valleys, with a small Iron Age hillfort at the summit. It’s a great viewpoint, with views in all four directions on a clear day.
The Forest Drive has been redeveloped while closed. There are some popular mountain biking tracks in the Forest Park and three new playgrounds for kids have also been opened. You can also bring picnics or barbecues – a great place to hang out, one I’ve visited many times.
5. Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Footpath
I’ve been walking sections of this long-distance trail since my teens, and always loved reaching the higher ridges, which would offer views of the Bristol Channel in one direction and the peaks of the Brecon Beacons to the north.
Caerphilly Mountain is the most popular part of the 27-mile (45 km) route, which also takes in Eglwysilan Mountain and the Valley tops. Much of the terrain is moorland, taking in ancient churches like Eglwysilan and Llanfabon, with great views over Valleys villages like Senghenydd.
You also pass Ruperra Castle, a rare Jacobean ruin from the reign of King James I, and a few country pubs along the way.
I haven’t done the full walk, but if you’re going to do so, I’d allow a day and a half to two days.
6. National Mining Memorial, Senghenydd
Senghenydd is a small village in the Aber Valley three miles from Caerphilly town centre. The village grew up around the Universal Colliery, where a major explosion devastated the community in 1901, with 81 miners killed.
Sadly, worse was to follow. In October 1913 the mine was full with workers and a massive explosion triggered by firedamp (a mixture of hydrogen and methane). 439 miners and a rescuer were killed in the worst industrial disaster in UK history.
The Memorial commemorates the two Senghenydd disasters and the many other tragedies that occurred in the South Wales coalfield in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Aberfan disaster of 1966.
The focal point of the Memorial is the statue of a rescuer carrying a wounded miner, while plaques around it commemorate each miner lost. Additional plaques commemorate other Welsh mining disasters.
There is also a small local museum the Aber Valley Heritage Museum, down the hill in the village, as well as another memorial to those lost at Universal Colliery.
7. Afternoon Tea Or A Stay At Y Fan
Y Fan – also known locally as Van Manor House – is one of the best places to stay in Caerphilly, a stunning restored 16th century mansion built with stone quarried from Caerphilly Castle itself.
Y Fan has an important place in the history of Caerphilly, with founder Edward Lewis one of the most powerful noblemen in the county of Glamorgan.
He later ‘upsized’ to St Fagans Castle on the other side of Cardiff, which is now part of the brilliant Welsh National Museum of History.
The Van mansion was a ruin when I lived just down the hill throughout my childhood, and I would often head up there with friends to explore the site.
When I returned in the 1990s it had been restored as a private residence, and the current owners have restored it again, turning it into a gorgeous boutique B&B full of late medieval features including wooden beams.
They also serve a sumptuous afternoon tea for which you’ll need to book ahead.
See Also: 8 of the Best Castles To Stay In Wales
8. Tommy Cooper Statue, Caerphilly
Tommy Cooper is one of the most famous people born in Caerphilly, and was one of the most famous comedians in Britain from the 1960s to the 1980s.
There is a prominent statue of him at the top of the car park opposite the east front of the Castle, wearing his trademark fez. It was unveiled in 2008 by Sir Anthony Hopkins.
9. Lunch or Dinner at the Maen Llwyd Inn, Rudry
There are several country pubs in the villages around Caerphilly, and the pick of the pubs in Caerphilly over many years has been the Maen Llwyd Inn in Rudry, three miles east of the town centre.
The building is a 400-year-old former farmhouse, with low wooden-beamed ceilings in the original front part, and a modern extension at the back.
The food has always been very good, a mixture of British pub classics, grills, burgers and the occasional foray into Mediterranean and Asian food.
10. Big Cheese Festival
Caerphilly’s main festival takes place on the last weekend of July, a big summer party that’s a mixture of historical re-enactments at the Castle, a funfair and large farmers’ market.
It’s a great time to visit the town, especially for everything going on in the Castle. The funfair is held on the fields next to Crescent Road, to the west of the Castle.
Gelligaer Common
The northern part of the Rhymney Valley (and Caerphilly county) gets far less visitors than the south, which includes Caerphilly town and Castle. This is an area of remote moorland, between the Rhymney and Merthyr valleys, and one I’ve always felt drawn to.
The village of Gelligaer is at the southern end of the area of common land. It was the site of a Roman fort – the site has been kept clear, but nothing remains of it. There’s just a small glass panel with an etching of what it may have looked like.
Head north from Gelligaer to Capel Gwladys, the remote remains of a chapel dedicated to a well-known local saint who helped convert her gruff (he abducted her) husband, local ruler Gwynllyw, to Christianity and a much more moderate way of life. Sgwd Gwladys, one of the most popular Brecon Beacons waterfalls, is named after her.
The empty landscape to the north gives a taste of what’s to come in the Brecon Beacons National Park. I love the area around Parc Cwm Darran, a beautiful bucolic spot that was once part of a colliery.
Just across the road from there is the mysterious Carn y Bugail, the Shepherd’s Stone, and a Bronze Age cairn of the same name.
From here you don’t have to go far to get views of Pen y Fan and Corn Du, the twin peaks that are the highest in the Brecon Beacons.
The Winding House
The Winding House, once part of the Elliot Colliery, in the village of New Tredegar is a great industrial museum, great for anyone wanting to learn more about the coal mining industry that did so much to shape South Wales.
It has an excellent reputation locally, partly because it’s very hands-on, and several friends in the area have recommended it to me.
The Winding Engine dates from 1891, and was used to haul cages full of miners up and down the shaft to the coal face. There is also an exhibition on the history of South Wales and a gallery with temporary art exhibitions.
Cefn Mably Farm Park
One of the best things to do in Caerphilly with kids is to take them to Cefn Mably Farm Park, in the countryside between Caerphilly and St Mellons in the north-east of Cardiff.
You can pet the animals (including sheep, goats and the adorable alpacas), and there’s also a train around the site and an indoor soft play area in case the weather turns a bit wet.
Visit Fairytale Castell Coch
Another of the most famous Welsh castles is just over the hill from Caerphilly, above the village of Tongwynlais, overlooking Cardiff. Castell Coch – its name means ‘Red Castle’ is a 19th century fantasy castle built by William Burges for his patron the Third Marquess of Bute.
Castell Coch is an idealized version of a romantic European castle. It reminds me most of Burg Katz, one of the most famous Rhine River Castles, and Burg Eltz in the Mosel wine region. I also wonder whether Burges ever visited Kokořín Castle, an amazing forest castle an hour north of Prague.
The Castle is richly decorated but was rarely used, so is beautifully preserved. One of the best day trips from Cardiff would be a combination of Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle. You could catch a bus from Cardiff to Tongwynlais and then catch a later bus (the 26) to Caerphilly – the bus stop is across the street from the Castle.
Afterwards you could catch the bus back to Cardiff or walk up the hill to the train station and get there in half the time.
Things To Do In Caerphilly – Final Words
I hope you have enjoyed my guide to the best things to do in Caerphilly.
It’s my home town and I lived there for around 30 years in all. Most people visit Caerphilly Castle and leave, but there’s plenty more to see nearby. You just need to know where to look!
Caerphilly is also an excellent base for exploring South Wales. Check out my article on Day Trips From Cardiff, which is packed with ideas.
Caerphilly is very close to Castell Coch, one of the best Castles near Cardiff, and indeed, best Castles in South Wales.
Cardiff is an outstanding city to visit. Check out my article on Famous Landmarks in Cardiff for an overview and taster of what to expect.
If you have time to explore more of South Wales, my advice is to spend a day or more exploring the gorgeous Gower beaches to the west of Swansea. Rhossili Bay and Three Cliffs Bay are the two best-known beaches in the area, and there are many more.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.