Caerphilly’s family of resident dragons have returned to roost ahead of the winter months.
The four-strong group are back at Caerphilly Castle from today, Monday, October 30, and throughout to the Christmas period after a summer of touring Wales.
While mother and father, Dwynwen and Dewi, will hibernate in front of the iconic leaning tower, visitors to Wales’ largest castle will have to keep their eyes peeled for a sight of the two youngsters, who will be playing hide and seek within the fortress grounds.
Dewi the dragon first pitched up in Caerphilly on St David’s Day last year, and returned to Wales’ biggest castle with female friend Dwynwen on April 3. At Easter, the dragons ‘laid’ two eggs, before heading on a tour of Cadw sites across Wales as part of Visit Wales’ Year of Legends marketing campaign.
The family of dragons were brought to life by a team of 16 at Cardiff-based prop design specialist, Wild Creations. Dewi and Dwynwen, who weigh a whopping two tonnes each, and the babies were sculpted and moulded before being cast and built out of fibreglass.
Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, said: “The dragons’ return to Caerphilly Castle marks the final chapter in Cadw’s hugely successful Live the Legends marketing campaign — which, not only led to Cadw’s best summer on record, but also helped capture the imagination of a nation and encourage them to explore their heritage.”
Much more importantly, and far nicer, there is now a healthy family of swans on the moat. I have not seen so many swans here since I was a child.