The leaning tower
The south-east tower has tilted around ten degrees since the Civil War, further than Pisa, and it is the castle's signature photo.
A tower that leans further than Pisa, in the middle of a castle that floats on man-made lakes: this is Caerphilly, the biggest castle in Wales and second in all of Britain only to Windsor. Gilbert de Clare threw up the bulk of it between 1268 and 1271, in only a few years, to face down an ambitious Welsh prince, and the result is a fortress inside a fortress inside a lake, spread over some thirty acres. The south-east tower lost its footing after the English Civil War, whether to Cromwell's gunpowder or, as some historians suspect, to plain subsidence, and has stood tilted at around ten degrees ever since; it is still standing, and it is the photo everyone in the family will take. The outside is honestly half the visit: walls mirrored in the water, and a long dam platform carrying four full-size working replicas of medieval siege engines (fired only on event days, so do not promise the children anything). The inside has changed a great deal after a conservation programme costing around eight million pounds: the Great Hall reopened in July 2025 with digital displays that put the medieval banquets back on its walls, the water-gate passage was opened up, and the inner east gatehouse became easier to get around. Small children mostly come for the huge animatronic dragons that use the castle as their lair. Getting here from Cardiff is easy: a train from Cardiff Central or Queen Street reaches Caerphilly in about twenty minutes, then it is a ten-minute walk through town. By car it is roughly 25 minutes via the M4 at junction 32, then the A470 and A469, with pay-and-display parking about a hundred metres away. Allow around two hours. Practical notes: the grounds are wide and the paths are gravel and uneven stone, so a pushchair works in the courtyards but not the towers, and the spiral stairs are narrow. There is effectively no cafe inside the walls, though the town's cafes are minutes away. Shelter from rain is scarce, so pick a clear day; in winter the castle opens at 10:00 and shuts at 16:00 with last entry half an hour before, and closes entirely on 24 to 26 December and 1 January. Advance booking is not compulsory even in August, but it saves five percent online.
The south-east tower has tilted around ten degrees since the Civil War, further than Pisa, and it is the castle's signature photo.
Reopened in July 2025 with digital displays that bring medieval banquets back to its walls after a conservation project costing around eight million pounds.
Four working replica siege engines on the dam and huge animatronic dragons in the courtyards make the castle a hit with small children.
Castle Street, Caerphilly CF83 1JD
Cardiff Castle sits in the city centre, is easier to reach and has ornate Victorian rooms, but it is small and done in an hour. Caerphilly is far bigger and more exciting as a real fortress, especially with children, and is worth the half day and the short train ride on a clear day. On a wet day, pick Cardiff.
Largely yes: the courtyards and dam are open ground good for running about and for a pushchair, and the dragons keep little ones busy for a long time. The towers, however, are reached by narrow spiral stairs and the paths are gravel and uneven stone, so one parent stays below with the pushchair.