For most of the 21st Century, Gwrych Castle was famed as an overbearing, ruined castle that could be spotted from the dual carriageway that runs along the top of North Wales. On family adventures to a campsite, parents would almost always point out the haunted hillside abode.
Gwrych Castle is a Grade I listed country house in North Wales, one of the first attempts at replicating true mediaeval architecture in Europe. Much to the locals’ dismay, the castle has been abandoned since 1990 and had become a wavering target for hooligans. Fires, vandalism and debauchery ensued until the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust came to the rescue in 2018.
Now, it’s more well known for its abundance of Welsh history, culture galore and the famous bushtucker trials. Here’s everything you need to know about Gwrych Castle.
History of Gwrych Castle
Covering 250 acres, the castle was built between 1812 and 1822 by Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh. When Lloyd died, the Castle was passed on to Robert Bamford-Hesketh and his wife, Ellen Jones-Bateman.
During the second world war, the Government used the castle to house 200 Jewish refugees run by a Jewish Zionist youth movement ‘Bnei Akiva’. It wasn’t until 1948 that the castle and its grounds were opened to the public for the first time, becoming the ‘Showplace of Wales’. People would travel from far and wide to spend a holiday exploring the castle and its grounds. In the 70s, it did a 180, opening as a mediaeval entertainment centre. Think theme park, but with live action jousting, banquets and costumes. The final joust took place in 1987, and it was all downhill from here.
The castle became almost derelict, falling victim to vandals and arsonists — to the point that its very future was uncertain. Luckily, in 2018 it was bought by the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust and it was given a new lease of life. Now, it’s one of the most talked about attractions in Britain due to hosting ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for two consecutive years.
Overview of Gwrych Castle
While the Grade I listed house is unquestionably one of the finest examples of a castellated mansion in Britain, the designed landscape, begun in the early 1700s by the Lloyds of Gwrych, is of outstanding importance too, as one of the great achievements of the picturesque in Wales.
From the caves at Cefn-yr-Ogof to Lady Emily’s Tower, and from the Nant-y-Bella bridge to the Iron Age hillforts of Tan-y-Gopa and Pen-y-Corddyn Mawr, numerous fascinating built and natural structures provide focal points within a magical wooded setting, originally conceived as a place of peaceful enjoyment.
Who Owns Gwrych Castle?
Gwrych Castle was due to be auctioned off — with a fairly modest £600,000 guide price might we add —- but its listing was withdrawn the night before.
The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust was able to buy the listed building after receiving two grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and the Richard Broyd Charitable Trust. It was a fairytale story fit for the fairytale castle, as Mark Baker, the chair of Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, began the campaign to save the castle back in 1997.
Is Gwrych Castle a Real Castle?
It depends what you mean by real castle. A castle is a “large building, typically of the mediaeval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and in many cases a moat”. Gwrych Castle has no moat, and there were no reasons to fortify against attack when building. It’s a mock castle; a Grade I listed country house, built in as a nod to mediaeval architecture.
Is Gwrych Castle Open to the Public?
Yes, Gwrych Castle is open to the public. The majority of the main building is currently still a ruin so access is limited to what has been renovated. It goes without saying, it’s a work in progress to restore it to its former glory.
Can You Stay in Gwrych Castle?
If just visiting the castle isn’t enough for you, you can also stay overnight. Tan-yr-Ogo Lodge, was the original ceremonial entrance to the estate, and has now been converted to a beautiful historical lodge. Translated to ‘beneath the cave’, Tan-yr-Ogo is nestled below Lady Emily’s Tower and provides a mini-castle experience you won’t find elsewhere.
It’ll set you back £220 per night, but might be well worth it for the castle-buffs among us. Find it on Airbnb here.
Visiting Gwrych Castle
Prices
- Under 3 – Free
- Carer (one carer per paying visitor, proof required) – Free
- Children – £5
- Concession – £8
- Adult – £10.00
- Family (2A, 3C) – £30.00
Opening times
Gwrych Castle is open 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm. The last admission is at 4pm.
How to book
All visitors do need to pre-book online prior to arriving and tickets cannot be purchased on arrival. This might seem like an inconvenience, but it actually means you’re guaranteed entry and there are no unsightly queues or surprises on arrival.
You can book tickets on the official website.
Gwrych Castle and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
In late 2020, the producers of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! had a problem. Following the pandemic, the Australian jungle was off-limits due to strict regulations at the borders. They considered a number of forests in the UK, but none matched the haunting atmosphere that the derelict Gwrych Castle provided.
It was a win-win for all involved. The producers got a great location, and the Trust benefited from hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of urgent remedial work to make the castle safe for filming.
Parts of the set are still in place in and around Coach House Court; why not take a guided I’m a Celebrity Tour?