Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

Street art depicting Caerphilly Castle’s water gate, which appeared outside Cardiff Central Station recently, is heading to Caerphilly town centre this week.

Commissioned by Cadw and created by chalk artist Julian Beever, the artwork is part of a promotional campaign to mark the medieval castle’s reopening after an £8m regeneration project.

The newly reopened medieval water gate passageway, which connects the castle’s great hall to the southern lake at Caerphilly, has, according to Cadw, been hidden from view for centuries.

Mr Beever said: “It’s been brilliant to see so many people stop, stare, and realise they’re literally standing on history.

“The water gate has always been there, just beneath people’s feet, so creating a piece of art that opens up the ground felt like the perfect way to reveal something that was hidden in plain sight all along.”

The artwork will on display at Caerphilly’s bandstand opposite the castle from Tuesday to Thursday this week (August 5 to August 7), before moving into the castle grounds for permanent display on Friday.

Head of Cadw Gwilym Hughes said: “There’s more than one side to history, and more than one way for people to interpret and enjoy it. This magnificent piece of art does just that – it reimagines and brings to life a scene at the water gate to help people envision how it may have once looked.

“Breathing new life into Wales’s heritage isn’t just about restoring old walls, it’s about opening doors to stories old and new, welcoming visitors from near and far, and captivating future generations.

“Caerphilly Castle features plenty of new, interactive exhibits which tell the many stories of the castle and the men, women and children who lived in it over the centuries.”