Although it is under the care of Cadw, the Welsh side of of English Heritage, the adjoining house and car park belong to the National Trust so there is a £6 parking charge unless you an NT member. Annoying. You don't even get into the house for that - another charge.
Still the castle itself is free, even to non Cadw visitors. And well worth a visit too. Originally there was a construction here built by Rhodri ap Merfyn (820–878)Given the fabulous defensive position it commands I would expect the original usage to date well back.
The current remains though are 12CE and later and have been quite heavily restored which improves the "visitor experience"
As usual with a site that doesn't have a car park 10 ft from the entrance it was very quiet.
Always fun looking down the middle of towers!
and working out where the original floors would have been
The restoration allows you to go right to the top of the towers and walk around a lot of the parapet. A chance to enjoy some really spectacular views even though it was a dull grey day.
