Castell Caerffili

I've mentioned Caerphilly Castle several times in past blogs (see here for the spooky tale of the Green Lady) and how it featured prominently in my childhood memories. I was lucky to be able to regard it as a playground as, in the mid-fifties and early-sixties, it was, as far as I remember, unsupervised and access could be gained through any number of breaches in the walls. The restoration started by the Marquis of Bute had not been completed and the ramparts and towers were still in a derelict state. Not particularly safe but offering fantastic opportunities for exploring and generally scrambling around. Although several of the moats were still dry, the main one was a good place to fish (illegally as we could not afford the licence) and swim. We had Scout camps in the central area and, on at least a couple of occasions, took part in Jamborees and Campfires with Scouts from other troops. All-in-all, we could roam freely within its walls and use it as a community amenity.

But it's all different now, of course. It's closely supervised by Cadw and, as all the moats have been flooded, entry is restricted to the turnstiles: no more getting in for free. The Main Hall has been restored and is used for many functions but it's very commercialised and 'ye olde worlde' themed. The towers and ramparts have been stabilised and offer rather sterile fun to youngsters. To my mind, a little danger brings with it excitement and an opportunity to learn how to look after yourself. Sadly, the 'wrap 'em up in cotton wool' brigade hold sway and younger generations no longer have the chance to experience the castle 'up close and dirty'. A great shame.

And what's prompted my diatribe? A couple of film clips from Cadw that came my way recently. The first gives an aerial view of the castle and, I'll admit, that I've forgotten how big it is and how impressive the fortifications are. The second is a CGI reconstruction of the original castle from what remains today. It's very cleverly done and well worth watching, even though the production team have been watching too many episodes of The Game of Thrones. A much better way of spending a few minutes than staring at the Xmas tree and tinsel.