Our Welsh Adventure – Boy’s Day Out

This week we are concluding our Welsh Adventure, you can catch up with our adventures thusfar HERE. This time it was the boys' turn to choose where they want to go for their day out. After much consideration & deliberation (as evidenced by Cillian above) they finally chose to spend the morning at Caerphilly Castle & Castell Coch. Clever lads.

Caerphilly Castle occupies over 30 acres, it’s the biggest castle in Wales & the second largest in Britain. Built in the 13th Century by Gilbert de Clare using the “walls within walls” system of defence. It’s the most complete Castle still standing today with a series of moats & islands. 

Our little ones absolutely loved it as there were lots of rooms to explore & vast rolling lawns. The Great hall is simply stunning. There have been a few TV shows filmed here including Dr Who & Merlin, my son thought it was amazing that he recognised Constable’s Hall. 

They have a great gift shop where we stocked up on armour & swords, just in case! Admission is £4.75 Adults, £3.60 Children or a family ticket is £14.25 for 2 adults & all children in your party. Pay & display parking is just 200 meters from the castle, so ideal if you've hired a rental to explore. 

Caerphilly Castle

Less than 15 minutes away is Castell Coch which was also built by Gilbert De Clare in 1267. There has been a castle on this site since 1081 but it has been raised, rebuilt & remodelled a couple times, the castle standing today was completed in 1891. Castell Coch looks like something straight from a fairytale with a working drawbridge & three towers with conical roofs. 

The interior includes The Keep, The Kitchen Tower, The Well Tower, Banqueting Hall, Lord & Lady Bute’s bedrooms & many more rooms. Most of the original furniture that was removed from the castle has been recovered & reinstated in the castle. 

Admission is much the same as Caerphilly Castle but if you are planning on visiting a few Castles you’d be better off buying the Explorer Pass on sale at most Castles. A 3 day family pass is £36.80 which gives you access to over 25 historical attractions. Parking is free; they also have Tea Rooms, A Gift Shop & Picnic Tables.

Castell Coch

Just a short hop away is Cardiff Bay, so we headed there for a spot of lunch. We were thrilled to find it was a hub of activity with lots of shops, restaurants, bars & visitor attractions to choose from. Never mind a day, you could spend a week here & not get bored. 

The boys had a big decision to make & The Dr Who Experience lost out to Techniquest an interactive science & discovery centre. The afternoon whizzed by with the children having a blast in the exhibitions, planetarium & science theatre topped off with oodles of hands on science. 

As Techniquest is a registered charity you can choose to make a donation with your admission price, we did & paid £25 for a family pass, 2 adults & 3 children, Under 3’s are free. There is paid on street parking nearby.

Cardiff Bay

So there you have it some of the highlights of our 10 day break in Wales, we went to lots more places but I’d be here all year telling you about them! 

Currently both Irish Ferries & Stena Line have a Kids go free offer so there has never been a better time to pack up your car & head across the Irish Sea for a fun filled family break in Wales.

Have we piqued your interest in God's country? Do let us know!

Visiting Wales ~ The Blaenavon Ironworks

Last week I told you about our visit to the Big Pit in Wales, this week I’ll tell you about another attraction just up the road from the Big Pit. Blaenavon Ironworks is a World Heritage Site, dating back to 1789, it has the best preserved blast furnace in the world. 

In the early nineteenth century at the height of the industrial revolution Blaenavon Ironworks was the most important producer of Iron in the world.

We really loved the hands on history of the Ironworks. The reconstructed company shop & workers dwellings are fantastic, it’s like they haven’t been touched by the hands of time. Our children had a great time on our free self guided tour of the Ironworks. 

Some of the workers cottages were refurbished for the award-winning BBC series Coal House which was set in the 1920’s. More of the cottages were refurbished for a spin off show Coal House at War, this time they were decorated as 1940’s houses.

It’s very surreal & feels like your snooping as the cottages are set up like the families are just out at work for the day. Meanwhile we’re in having a look at their kitchens & bedrooms complete with family photos of that era on the walls. Highly educational and fascinating! Opening hours are generally 10am – 5pm Entry and parking are free, there are picnic tables should you wish to bring a picnic. 

Tell us, have you been to the Ironworks in Blaenavon? Would you consider it on a furture trip? 

Our Travelling Family Have Gone to the Pits!

And now for something a little bit different of a Travel Tuesday...

If you find yourself in Wales looking for something to do, I highly recommend a trip to the Big Pit in Blaenavon and Pontypool, not to be confused with Pontypandy! We usually travel by boat so we can take our car, large family & kitchen sink. This time we travelled with Irish Ferries from Rosslare to Pembroke.

The Big Pit is the UK’s National Coal Museum, an award-winning interactive museum which includes an underground tour. I can honestly say that this is one of the most impressive museums I’ve been to anywhere in the world. Do you want to know the best bit? It’s free entry, however there is a nominal charge for the car park.

There are numerous out buildings to explore, our little ones soaked up all the information like sponges, they loved it. I wasn’t sure if they'd all want to go underground to see the coal mines but they did and there were no nerves or apprehension at all. The underground part of the tour is an hour long & only for those over one meter tall so we had to split up so one of us could stay on the surface with our baby. 

You're kitted out with a hard hat & a torch with battery pack weighing 5kg, sensible footwear is advised as the ground is uneven.  I went in first with 3 of our children, the tour is led by an actual coal miner that worked in the pit so he can give you first hand information & regale you with stories of his time working there. They were a really great bunch of lads, so friendly & funny, they ensured to include the children in their story telling.

They have state of the art facilities including baby change facilities and fully wheelchair accessible toilets on all three levels. It’s also a breastfeeding friendly venue. While my husband went down the Big Pit, I took a stroll up the hill to the old canteen that’s still in use today for tourists. The same building as the canteen houses the showers & the doctor’s office. Everything has been left as if the miners were still at work today, just like stepping back in time. 

There are picnic tables outside to take in the stunning view from this vantage point. I enjoyed a chilled class of wine, while the children munched on crisps & a cold drink, all sold at great prices in the canteen.

Luckily we spotted an old steam engine as we approached the road to the Big Pit, we pulled in as our little lads are train mad. We soon found out that you can park there free of charge & take the steam train one stop to the Big Pit. Our boys were thrilled as there was a first class carriage that’s exactly like the train from Harry Potter. 

We paid £21 for a family return ticket, they are pay once & ride all day tickets. Unfortunately we didn't have time but you could take the train to the Whistle Inn for a cold refreshment. In all of our family adventures, this little pit stop truly was one of the most memorable, the kids talk about it to this day. We can't recommend it enough!

 Next week I’ll bring you more from our Welsh trip.