A Guide to Castell Coch Walks Near Cardiff, Wales

Castell Coch also known as ‘Red Castle’ (although I’ve never heard anyone call it that) is a fairytale castle nestled in the hills you can spot poking out of the woodlands on your way to Brecon Beacons and South Wales Valleys.

Above and beyond the castle is Fforest Fawr and four circular Castell Coch walks where you can get your 10k steps, explore the forest, imagine fairy stories, ponder on the myths of the area, see old mining pits and follow the Fforest Fawr sculpture trail.

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Book the guided Castell Coch and Fforest Fawr Tour Here!

Castell Coch Cardiff

Castell Coch is a magical castle nestled in the hills outside Cardiff and can be seen from the motorway on the way to Caerphilly and South Wales Valleys.

The castle structure and area dates back to the 1080s but was ruins for many centuries until Marquess of Bute (also owner of Cardiff Castle and Caerphilly Castle) revamped it into the gothic architecture it has today and apparently used it as a kind of playground away from the usual residence in Cardiff.

Everyone in South Wales knows about Castell Coch, going there on day trips, spotting it in the hills from below and one on my friend’s dream is to have a Castell Coch wedding.

Filming Location: BBC’s TV series Merlin used Castle Coch as a filming location for ‘The Changeling’ episode.

Castell Coch Entrance Fee: £6.90 for entrance to the castle.

Castell Coch Opening Times: 9.30am – 5pm (May – June), 9.30am – 6pm (July – August), check Cadw website for all other dates.

Castle Coch Facts:

• The colouring of the sandstone that made the castle gave it its name; Castell meaning Castle and Coch in Welsh means Red so it’s the Red Castle / Coch Castle / Castle Coch /
• Castell Coch is part of the Taff Trail that runs 55 miles from Cardiff to Brecon.
• I felt like it was my first day at Hogwarts, I won’t lie.

Harry Potter Vibes in Wales: How to See Dobby’s Grave

Where is Castell Coch Wales?

Castell Coch is found in a small village called Tongwynlais on the outskirts of Cardiff. The nearest train station is Taffs Well which can be reached straight from Cardiff Central station.

You can also catch the Tongwynlais number 26 bus from Cardiff Central. Castell Coch is very close to Brecon Beacons National Park so be sure to check out the Four Waterfalls, how to climb Pen-Y-Fan mountain and Wales’s book town of Hay-on-Wye.

It’s reached easiest by car:

• Cardiff to Castell Coch – 26 minutes
• Swansea to Castell Coch – 50 minutes
• Newport to Castell Coch – 24 minutes
• London to Castell Coch – 3 hours

Castell Coch Postcode to use is: CF15 7JS

Related Post: Caerphilly Castle and Mountain Walks Guide

Castell Coch Parking

Castell Coch parking is free and right in front of the castle coch. The entrance to car park Castell Coch looks like this when the path gate is open:

Car park opening hours: 9.30am – 5pm

The car park was shut when I arrived at about 8am so I parked on the road just outside the castle gates and walked the hill up to the castle (this took just 5 minutes).

Join this essential day tour of South Wales castles and mountains!

4 Routes of Castell Coch Walks

There are four routes you can take as part of the Castell Coch walks:

1. Sir Henry’s Trail
2. Burges’ Way
3. Sculpture Discovery Trail
4. Three Bears Cave Walk

Sir Henry’s Trail is the red route, the longest of the four, circular and connecting Castell Coch car park and Forest Fawr car park.

Burges’ Way is the yellow route, shortest circular starting at Castell Coch and half the route of Sir Henry’s Trail.

Sculpture Discovery Trail is the blue route that starts at Fforest Fawr car park and is a short circular route with farmland creatures to discover along the path. A gorgeous panoramic view of the valleys can be seen on this route.

Three Bears Cave Walk is the brown route, part of Sir Henry’s Trail and highlights the old mining caves.

I did two of the four Castell Coch walks: Sir Henry’s Trail and Sculpture Discovery Trail but this also incorporated the Three Bears Cave Castell Coch Walk.

Read Next: How to Pronounce the Longest Welsh Word!

Finding The Routes From Castell Coch Cardiff

It’s not obvious where the trails start when you’re at the castle. You’ll probably gravitate toward the back of the castle but this doesn’t lead anywhere.

If you’re standing directly in front of the drawbridge of the castle, look to your left, cross the small road and you’ll find a sign with the routes and a steep path to the right of the sign. This is the beginning of Sir Henry’s Trail and Burges’ Way and looks like this:

The start of this Castell Coch walk has a steep incline but after this the trail is easy to moderate. The trails (part of Sir Henry’s and the Sculpture trail) took me 1 hour 30 minutes and I covered a distance of 5.21km.

Once you’re walking steadily, you’ll come to The Three Bears Cave also known as The Three Arches. Here you can see the old mining entrances which were booming in the 1800s excavating limestone and iron ore. Cardiff has a long history with mining and coal exporting from Cardiff Docks and here is another example of the city’s legacy. #geologyrocks

Fforest Fawr

The paths from Castell Coch lead straight into Fforest Fawr as this is the forest that surrounds Castell Coch. The paths are clearly laid out, wide, gravelled and in between the woodlands giving you fresh air, scenic views in some parts and except for the bird songs, total peace.

Fun fact: This is the forest where scenes from Merlin were filmed!

I walked here before 9am but on the way back to the castle, I seen lots more people arriving so if you want to avoid the crowds, be an early bird! P.s. there were lots of dog walkers so a great place to bring the pups.

Fforest Fawr Car Park

Not long after you reach The Three Bears Cave, you’ll arrive at Fforest Fawr Car Park. From here, you can continue the Sir Henry’s Trail and Three Bears Cave walk or start the Sculpture Discovery Trail.

Alternatively to my route, you could start your walks from Fforest Fawr Car Park and incorporate Castell Coch as part of your trail.

There’s also a picnic area at the car park as pictured below.

Fforest Fawr Car Park Postcode – CF83 1NG

Fforest Fawr Sculpture Trail

This was a grand part of the Castell Coch walk because as you can start the trail (in between Fforest Fawr car park and Three Bears Cave), a few sculptures catch your eye and before you know it they are seen at every few metres. For fforest fawr sculpture trail parking, see the above postcode as quicker than Castle coch postcode.

Here’s some of my faves from the forest fawr walk:

But saving the best until last, is the gorgeous scenic view you get along the sculpture trail of the hills beyond.

Hope you now know the best directions and routes for your Castell Coch walks! And if you’re in South Wales Castell Coch is a great place to see.

Take the full guided tour here of Castell Coch and Forest Fawr to save the hassle of organising!

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