All walks › Cardiff and the Vale
Cardiff and the ValeCastell Coch and Fforest Fawr
Victorian fantasy castle with conical towers rising out of beech woods above Cardiff, with forest walks and sculpture behind it.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 10
- Ascent
- 220 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
From the castle, paths climb through Fforest Fawr and loop back, with the option of dropping to the Taff Trail along the river.
Worth knowing
- The castle interior is extraordinary and worth the entry; the exterior is free to walk around.
- The woods behind hold a set of carved sculptures along the trails.
- The Taff Trail below runs all the way from Cardiff Bay to Brecon.
What you’ll see
The castle towers above the trees, beech woodland, sculptures, and the Taff valley.
Background
Built for the third Marquess of Bute by William Burges in the 1870s on genuine medieval foundations, as a country retreat barely used.