Cadw: 121 Places to Visit
CADW is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage sites of Wales, so that the public can visit them, enjoy them and understand their significance.
Cadw manages 127 state-owned properties and sites. It arranges events at its managed properties, provides lectures and teaching sessions, offers heritage walks and hosts an online shop.
So, where would you like to go?
To start with, Wales has some of the best castles in the world and some of the most beautiful ones too. In addition, there are abbeys, churches and chapels and some of the most atmospheric ancient monuments which visitors have been seeking out for thousands of years.
Wales also has monuments that recall a proud heritage as one of the first industrial nations in the world and sites that tell the stories of the medieval Welsh princes.
Here, Cadw offers brief teasers of a whole range of exciting places to explore…
Barclodiad y Gawres Burial Chamber – An atmospheric tomb with rare examples of prehistoric art
Basingwerk Abbey – A medieval religious centre that’s still a place of pilgrimage
Beaumaris Castle – Fortress of near-perfect symmetry is an unfinished masterpiece
Blaenavon Ironworks – Giant of the industrial age still stands tall on the shoulders of its workers
Bodowyr Burial Chamber – Neolithic standing stones still shrouded in mystery
Brecon Gaer Roman Fort – Rural remains of a major military outpost
Bronllys Castle – Sturdy stone tower with a turbulent history
Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber – Iconic Neolithic tomb with a celestial secret
Bryntail Lead Mine Buildings – Peaceful remains of a busy industrial hub
Cae’r Gors – Childhood home of a literary heroine and showcase for a unique industrial landscape
Caer Gybi Roman Fortlet – Northern military outpost in a strategic coastal location
Caer Lêb – Prehistoric settlement with Roman and medieval connections
Caer y Twr – Iron Age settlement in a spectacular mountaintop location
Caerleon Amphitheatre – Blood-soaked Roman entertainment meets Arthurian myth
Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths – The luxury and bloodshed of life in a Roman fortress
Caernarfon Castle – After all these years Caernarfon’s immense strength remains undimmed
Caernarfon Town Walls – Caernarfon’s security blanket
Caerphilly Castle – Fear of a Welsh prince inspired the mightiest medieval castle in Wales
Caerwent Roman Town – A glimpse into a Romanised market town
Capel Garmon Burial Chamber – Neolithic burial chamber in an unexplained location
Capel Lligwy – Possibly all that’s left of a vanished community
Carew Cross – Celtic art, Cadw icon
Carreg Cennen Castle – Iconic ruin offers an unforgettably romantic experience
Carreg Coetan Arthur Burial Chamber – Neolithic tomb with links to Arthurian myth
Carswell Medieval House – Through the keyhole of a modest medieval home
Castell Bryn Gwyn – Prehistoric site with an extensive history
Castell Coch – Fairytale castle was a plaything for the rich and powerful
Castell y Bere – Architectural ingenuity and natural advantages combine in a must-visit Welsh-built fortress
Chepstow Bulwarks Camp – Hidden remnants of an Iron Age fort
Chepstow Castle – The stones of this magnificent clifftop fortress trace 600 years of history
Chepstow Port Wall – Extensive remains of medieval town walls
Cilgerran Castle – Spectacular castle that wasn’t quite as secure as the Normans hoped
Coity Castle – Romantic ruined castle, a storyboard in stone
Conwy Castle – Magnificent medieval fortress still towers over town after 700 years
Conwy Town Walls – Walking the walls of a World Heritage Site
Criccieth Castle – Spectacular coastal castle built – and destroyed – by powerful Welsh princes
Cymer Abbey – An example of Cistercian influence in medieval Wales
Denbigh Castle – Mighty fortress evokes the drama of medieval warfare
Denbigh Friary – Ruined religious settlement laid low by Henry VIII
Denbigh Town Walls – The first line of defence for Denbigh’s medieval castle
Denbigh, Lord Leicester’s Church – Remains of an ill-fated Elizabethan church
Denbigh, St Hilary’s Chapel – Simple town church that welcomed a celebrity congregation
Derwen Churchyard Cross – Preaching cross with striking Christian carvings that has stood the test of time
Din Dryfol Burial Chamber – Burial site and time capsule from the Neolithic period
Din Lligwy Hut Group – Revealing late Roman settlement – but was it originally from the Iron Age?
Dinefwr Castle – Much fought-over seat of the kingdom of Deheubarth
Dolbadarn Castle – Welsh castle and solitary guardian of Snowdonia’s Llanberis Pass
Dolforwyn Castle – Ruined symbol of Welsh defiance
Dolwyddelan Castle – Commanding Welsh stronghold in spectacular mountain
Dryslwyn Castle – Fragmentary – yet evocative – remains of a castle laid low by conflict
Dyffryn Ardudwy Burial Chamber – Neighbouring tombs built several generations apart
Dyfi Furnace – Perfectly-preserved example of Welsh industrial heritage in a sublime rural setting
Eliseg’s Pillar – Unpicking the mysteries of this early Christian cross
Ewenny Priory – An unusually war-like religious settlement
Ewloe Castle – Native-built castle in an unconventional forest setting
Flint Castle – The earliest and most unusual of Wales’s English-built castles
Grosmont Castle – Big on the border
Gwydir Uchaf Chapel – Look upwards to lift the spirits
Hafoty Medieval House – From timber to stone
Harlech Castle – None of Edward I’s mighty coastal fortresses has a more spectacular setting
Haverfordwest Priory – Religious men with green fingers
Hen Gwrt Moated Site – A well-preserved moat protecting a vanished manor
Heritage Cottage – A terraced time capsule
Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles – A farming community from the past
Kidwelly Castle – Norman stronghold is a match for the greatest castles of Wales
Lamphey Bishop’s Palace – A bishop’s tipple
Laugharne Castle – Mighty medieval castle, Tudor mansion and poet’s hideout
Llangar Old Parish Church – The writing’s on the wall
Llanmelin Wood Hillfort – Who lived here?
Llansteffan Castle – A prime piece of real estate
Llanthony Priory – A timeless treasure
Llawhaden Castle – Forgotten castle-cum-mansion that stays in the memory
Lligwy Burial Chamber – A true heavyweight
Loughor Castle – Thou shalt not cross
Maen Achwyfan Cross – The art of the Vikings
Margam Stones Museum – Magnificent carved stones reach back to the dawn of Christianity in Wales
Monmouth Castle – Ruined castle with a regal history
Montgomery Castle – More than the sum of its parts
Neath Abbey and Gatehouse – A site of power – both religious and industrial
Newcastle, Bridgend – A castle built to last
Newport Castle – Final remains of a significant waterfront fortress
Ogmore Castle – Step into the past
Old Beaupre Castle – Medieval manor with extravagant Tudor additions and status symbols
Oxwich Castle – A castle in name only but hugely impressive
Parc le Breos Burial Chamber – Superb example of a Neolithic chambered tomb
Penarth Fawr Medieval House – Rare stone-built dwelling with impressive timbered supports
Penmon Dovecote – A bird box on a truly epic scale
Penmon Priory, Cross and St Seiriol’s Well – Three for the price of one at this important holy site
Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones – Bronze Age standing stones shrouded in mystery
Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber – Skeletal remains of a Neolithic tomb in haunting location
Plas Mawr – Britain’s finest town house of the golden Elizabethan age
Pont Minllyn – Picturesque hidden bridge over the River Dyfi
Presaddfed Burial Chamber – Two of a kind
Raglan Castle – Welsh fortress-palace transformed into regal residence
Rhuddlan Castle – Awesome feat of engineering still towers above the River Clwyd
Rug Chapel – Extravagant private chapel of an arch Royalist who clung to the old ways
Runston Chapel – Lonely chapel of a long-lost village
Segontium Roman Fort – Roman stronghold that passed into Welsh legend
Skenfrith Castle – Significant medieval fortress with a substantial central tower
St Cybi’s Well – Hidden holy well with possible pagan origins
St Davids Bishop’s Palace – Magnificent medieval palace that rivalled its cathedral for glory
St Dogmaels Abbey and Coach House – Century-spanning ruins of a significant religious settlement
St Lythans Burial Chamber – Lonely Neolithic tomb with links to Arthurian legend
St Non’s Chapel – Reputed birthplace of Wales’s patron saint in uplifting location
St Quentin’s Castle, Llanblethian – Ruined remains of a 14th-Century castle
St Winefride’s Chapel and Holy Well – Still a popular place of pilgrimage
Strata Florida Abbey – Grand medieval abbey where generations of Welsh princes are buried
Swansea Castle – Urban remnants of a once-mighty fortress
Talley Abbey – Skeletal remains of a unique religious settlement
Tinkinswood Burial Chamber – A spectacular feat of prehistoric engineering
Tintern Abbey – Gothic masterpiece became a Romantic symbol of the sublime
Trefignath Burial Chamber – A trio of tombs
Tregwehelydd Standing Stone – Splintered remains of a Bronze Age monument
Tretower Court and Castle – Two-in-one architectural wonder spans 900 years of history
Twthill, Rhuddlan – Medieval mound where a long-lost castle once stood
Ty Mawr Standing Stone – Solitary, strangely shaped Bronze Age monument
Tŷ Newydd Burial Chamber – Prehistoric art and arrowheads
Valle Crucis Abbey – Majestic medieval abbey was legendary for its lavish feasts
Weobley Castle – High-society home with its very own watchtower
White Castle – The shape of things to come? An early glimpse of Edward I’s Welsh castle-building project
Wiston Castle – Well-preserved motte-and-bailey with a turbulent history
