Continuing the tour of castles and abbeys which I've been writing about recently, we come to the curiosity that is Castell Coch. Sitting on a hillside a couple of miles out of Cardiff, Castell Coch (or Red Castle) is a stunning looking fairy tale castle and a testament to what a combination of too much money and a romanticised view of the past can do! Getting There ------------------- Castell Coch is very easy to find. It's clearly signed from the A470, which is the main road linking Cardiff with the South Wales Valleys. Take the exit for Taffs Well and from here, the castle is very well signed and less than a five minute drive. The only thing to ...  Read the complete review

If you are intending to visit Wales this summer you'll probably think about mountains, beaches, villages with unpronounceable names, and, of course, castles. Wales has a plethora of castles, ranging from the grand splendor of Caeravon and Cardiff, to smaller Norman garrisons and the ruins of little-known Welsh lords. There are also a few 'folly's' and later built castles with shorter pedigrees, for no Welsh castle can really be counted as one unless it dates back to at least the Norman conquest, when the English built them to subdue the last of the Celts. Castell Coch, or the 'Red Castle' is located just North of the South Wales valleys and the capital city ...  Read the complete review