Breton flag flies over Caerphilly Castle

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The black and white flag of Brittany is flying over Caerphilly Castle this week.

The flag is flying alongside the Welsh flag to commemorate the twinning arrangement between Caerphilly and Lannion – a town in Brittany.

The flag, which is called the Gwenn-ha-du in Breton, meaning ‘black and white, first flew over the castle in 2012.

Cadw, the Welsh Government body that manages the castle, agreed to fly the flag once again following a suggestion by Councillor Phil Bevan, who represents the Morgan Jones ward.

As part of the twinning arrangement, visitors from the Caerphilly and District Twinning Association visit Brittany every other year, while Breton visitors come to Caerphilly in return.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Breton visit to Caerphilly, which was set to take place in the summer, had to be cancelled.

It is hoped visitors from Brittany, which is a region in the west of France with a strong celtic identity and culture, will be able to come to Caerphilly in 2021.

The association set up the link between Caerphilly and Lannion in 1991, while Llanbradach’s link with Ploubezre, which is about two miles from Lannion, was set up in 1994.

The link has seen a number of exchanges between the two communities, including Llanbradach Football Club travelling to the area to face Breton side AS Servel Lannion.

In 2010, the road between the Llanbradach bypass and the Wingfield traffic lights was renamed ‘Rue de Ploubezre’ (French for ‘Ploubezre Street’) to commemorate the twinning arrangement.

Meanwhile, the inner part of the castle is currently closed to visitors while new paths are being laid. However, the outer part of the castle remains open and is currently free to enter without the need to book in advance, Cadw has said.