The County Borough of CaerphillyVisitor Guidet 2020 www.visitcaerphilly.com Contents Unearthing a sleeping giant .............. 3 Shwmae a Chroeso i Gaerffili Experience our legendary past ......... 5 “Hello and welcome to Caerphilly” A land of myths & legends ................. 7 Discover Caerphilly on foot ............... 9 Calling all adventure seekers ........... 11 Thank you for choosing the county Have a passion for the outdoors? ... 13 borough of Caerphilly as a destination Map .................................................... 15 to visit. Whether it’s for a day, a short Keeping it local ................................. 16 break or longer, there’s a lot waiting Dining out .......................................... 17 to be discovered. From uncovering Let us entertain you .......................... 19 our rich historical past to lapping up beautiful scenery and wildlife. Cwmcarn Forest Lodges .................. 21 Where to stay .................................... 23 This guide is packed with lots of useful information on the area along The county with inspiration on places to visit borough of Brecon The county borough and a taste of our renowned Valleys of Caerphill y welcome. Caerphilly is Brecon Beacons National Park We hope you find this guide useful located in the heart Monmouth and that you’ll come to love the of Southern Wales M4 Merthyr Tydfil borough as much as we do…in the and straddles the Chepstow words of Tommy Cooper “Just like ancient county Swansea Pontypridd that!” Newport boundaries of M4 If you need any help while planning Monmouthshire Bridgend M4 CARDIFF BRISTOL your visit or once you are here, take a Barry and Glamorgan. look at www.visitcaerphilly.com for information on the area. From finding a place to rest your head to selecting a special place to dine, it’s all on the With such close proximity to Cardiff, website. Newport and the Brecon Beacons, the county borough of Caerphilly is an ideal base for visitors looking to See you Soon! explore the South Wales Valleys and beyond. There are excellent transport links throughout the borough, with Cardiff just 15 minutes from Caerphilly town by train and 8 miles by car or bus. Visitors have the choice of city shopping and entertainment or the more laid back atmosphere of the county borough of Caerphilly. 01 The County Borough of Caerphilly Visitor Guide 2020 02 Pisa's got nothing on us Though the focus of many Welsh attacks, Caerphilly Castle has remained a formidable fortress and perhaps one of the greatest strongholds of all-time. Even Unearthing a the efforts of Oliver Cromwell’s roundheads failed to break the castle’s boundaries, though they did leave a rather remarkable scar – the famous leaning tower, which has leaned 3m out of the sleeping giant perpendicular since 1648. o Caerphilly 11 o Pisa 3.97 Dominating an impressive 30 acre site, Statue of the 4th Marquess of Bute ‘holding up’ Caerphilly Castle is Wales’ largest and Britain’s the leaning tower, alluding to his restoration work. second largest castle behind Windsor. This medieval fortress was built mainly between 1268 and 1271 by Gilbert de Clare. Known as Gilbert ‘The Red’ because of his red hair, denoting his Norman heritage, he built the castle to take control of Glamorgan and to prevent the Welsh Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffudd from achieving his southward ambitions. The design of the castle is based on a concentric ring of walls, something not seen in Britain before. It also has an extensive ring of water defences and huge gatehouses. This mammoth stronghold remains a striking testament to the Anglo-Norman domination of the area. Lights, camera, action! Caerphilly Castle and its impressive fortress have provided the perfect backdrop to popular BBC series ‘Doctor Who’ and Caerphilly Castle ‘Merlin’, whilst our towns and Location: Caerphilly B6 Postcode: CF83 1JD villages have featured in Sky 1’s Tel: 029 2088 3143 ‘Stella’, Welsh drama series ‘The Web: www.cadw.wales.gov.uk Baker Boys’ and ‘BBC’s Casualty’. 03 The County Borough of Caerphilly Visitor Guide 2020 04 Discover local heritage Heritage Sites: Unearth the hidden history of Caerphilly County Ruperra Castle D6 Borough at the Winding House Museum, featuring a Preservation Trust Experience our legendary past Location: Lower Machen changing programme of fascinating exhibitions on the Web: www.ruperratrust.co.uk local area’s history, heritage and culture. Research your www.ruperra.org.uk family’s past, discover the Victorian winding engine, eat, Butetown Heritage Trail drink and purchase memorabilia in the museums gift A1 Location: Butetown, Rhymney shop! Open Tuesday to Saturday. Postcode: NP22 5QH/5QJ Web: www.butetownhistory.info Groeswen Chapel Finding your roots B6 Location: Caerphilly Fuelled by the influence of the popular TV series Who‘ Postcode: CF15 7UT Tel: 029 2088 2245 Do You Think You Are’ and the rising social trend of Web: www.visitcaerphilly.com tracing your genealogy, visitors are increasingly looking to pursue their family history. There is a wealth of National Mining A5 information and resources available to help. For more Memorial & Garden Location: Commercial Street, information visit www.caerphilly.gov.uk/chronicle Senghenydd Postcode: CF83 4GY Tel: 029 2083 0445 Remembering the fallen Web: www.abervalleyheritage.co.uk Commemorating the fallen of the 152 mining disasters Museums & Art: across Wales, the National Mining Memorial was unveiled on the centenary of the Universal Colliery Winding House Location: New Tredegar B2 Disaster in Senghenydd on the 14th October 2013. Postcode: NP24 6EG The memorial incorporates a bronze statue, wall of Tel: 01443 822666 remembrance & path of memory within the memorial Web: www.windinghouse.co.uk Llancaiach Fawr Manor A4 garden, dedicating a ceramic tile to each disaster. Location: Nr. Nelson Aber Valley A5 Postcode: CF46 6ER Heritage Museum Tel: 01443 412248 Location: Senghenydd, Caerphilly Web: www.llancaiachfawr.co.uk Postcode: CF83 4HA Tel: 029 2083 0445 Web: www.abervalleyheritage.co.uk Y Galeri Caerffili C6 Location: Ground floor, The Visitor Centre – Caerphilly Set in 1645, the servants of Llancaiach Fawr Manor will be pleased Postcode: CF83 1JL Tel: 029 2132 2570 to show you around their master’s fine house, provided you are of Web: www.ygalericaerffili.co.uk good repute of course! Canals: If you are lucky, you might meet the master of the house Edward Prichard, or Monmouthshire & E6 perhaps catch a glimpse of the mistress Mary Prichard, though she is a rather Brecon Canal (Crumlin Arm) ‘sickly’ soul and does not like to brave the air of the valleys. With the Manor Location: Risca known for being haunted, you never know who you might meet when visiting this Postcode: NP11 6GY www.visitcaerphilly.com 17th century manor house! Enjoy day tours, ghost tours and events throughout Web: the year at this splendid Manor House. Senghenydd National Mining Memorial 05 The County Borough of Caerphilly Visitor Guide 2020 06 Famous Faces Famous faces to come out of the county borough of Caerphilly include A land of myths the legendary Tommy Cooper, musicians The Manic Street Preachers, Falklands hero Simon Weston, Beauty and the Beast’s & legends A legend of love ‘Gaston’ actor Luke Evans who was raised in Aberbargoed, presenter It is said that the restless spirit of Matt Johnson, sporting stars The Iron Age hill fort of Twmbarlwm was Princess Alice of Angouleme, wife Aaron Ramsey, Nathan Cleverly and once at the heart of the territory of the of Gilbert de Clare roams Caerphilly Joe Calzaghe… to name but a few! Luke Evans Silurian Celts, the dominant Celtic tribe Castle in search of her lost love. of this area. Legend has it, the princess, growing Constructed between 500 and 150 BC, tired of her husband’s cold and the site was chosen due to its excellent angry ways; fell in love with amorous view of the surrounding area and the Welsh Prince Gruffudd of Brithdir, Bristol Channel where any approaching only to seal their unfortunate fate. threat could easily be seen. The Princess perished of a broken heart after deranged Gilbert ordered the execution of her lover when the Twmbarlwm affair was exposed. Now on a moonlit D5 Location: Cwmcarn night, you may see the Princess, Postcode: NP11 7FA (Cwmcarn Forest Visitor Centre) known as ‘The Green Lady’ searching Tel: 01495 272001 Tommy Cooper for her lover, wearing green as a Famous comedian and magician Web: www.cwmcarnforest.co.uk symbol of her husband’s envy. Tommy Cooper was born in Llwyn Onn Street, Caerphilly on the 19th March 1921. Gelligaer Roman Fort Location: Gelligaer B4 His ‘larger than life’ personality and Postcode: CF82 8BB unique ability to entertain, makes Tel: 01443 822863 Tommy one of Caerphilly’s most Web: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/romanfort/ famous and much loved sons. To commemorate his life, a 9 ft bronze Almost 2000 years after the Romans statue was commissioned by the and Silures battled across these hills, Tommy Cooper Society and stands Gelligaer is again telling the story of the proudly opposite Caerphilly Castle. Romans in the Valleys of South Wales. Why not come and visit this village, For more information visit which has a history that stretches back www.visitcaerphilly.com to prehistory, and a heritage waiting for you to explore. Artist impression of Gelligaer Roman Fort The County Borough of Caerphilly Visitor Guide 2020 Stephen Davies Photography 07 Mark Walters – Skywest Surveys www.stephendavies.me.uk 08 The county borough has experienced dramatic changes over the past two hundred years transforming it into mile upon mile of beautiful rolling countryside with meadows, rivers, farmland, woods, commons, ponds and much more. If you’re looking for the perfect picnic spot or somewhere to kick a ball, dappled woods to wander through, or riverbanks Ffili fact... to ramble down, or safe paths to cycle along then look no Parc Penallta is home to one of the further than one of the five country parks in Caerphilly county UK’s largest earth figurative sculptures borough.