School pupils visit Caerphilly Castle to see renovation works

Primary school children were given a sneak peak behind the scenes at Caerphilly Castle as it undergoes a £10m revamp.

Pupils from Ysgol y Castell, which is opposite the castle on Crescent Road, wore hard hats as they were shown the conservation works being carried out at the Great Hall.

The £10m revamp, which began in the summer, will see a brand new visitor centre, cafe, toilets, and education room at the 13th century venue.

The project is expected to take three years and is set to be completed by summer 2026 – with the castle remaining at least partially open during the renovation works.

The first phase of the works, which are currently underway, includes the Great Hall refurbishment, installation of visitor access paths and ramps, a wildflower garden and more.

It is all part of Cadw’s five-year “masterplan”, which was announced in 2019, to improve the Grade I listed castle.

Initial regeneration work began at the castle back in 2021, with conservation works on its upper east gatehouse.

Callyn Bovington, a teacher at the Welsh-medium Ysgol y Castell, said: “The children have really enjoyed learning about the castle in school, so it was fantastic to see the actual work being undertaken at the site.

“They loved seeing the different stories from the different parts of the castle, but the definite highlight was seeing the work being carried out in the Great Hall. It will look amazing when it’s finished.”

Joan Tamlyn, business development manager at John Weaver Contractors, said: “Cadw and John Weaver Contractors are very keen to engage with the public around this project, so it was a pleasure to welcome them to the castle and show them around the Great Hall.

“The children were incredibly well behaved, and it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm and interest they had in the castle.”

Caerphilly’s Labour MS, Hefin David, said: “It’s wonderful seeing children learning about their local history.

“Of course, they will be familiar with the castle, but to get the opportunity to learn the details of its history and to be able to visit and see this in person is brilliant.

“The money that was been committed to the refurbishment by Welsh Government is very welcome and will bring a new lease of life to an important part of Caerphilly’s local tourism.”