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Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Castell ffantasi gyda sylfeini diwydiannol a threfedigaethol | Fantasy castle with industrial and colonial foundations
Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4HT
Opening times for 4 December 2023
Asset Opening time Castell | Castle Closed Gardd | Garden Closed Siop | Shop Closed Caffi | Café Closed Amgueddfa Reilffyrdd | Railway Museum Closed Ceginau Fictoraidd | Victorian kitchens Closed Mynediad olaf i'r castell am 3:15 / Last entry to the castle at 3:15
MTWTFSS2728293012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031OpenPartially openClosedFull Property
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £11.00 £10.00 Child £5.50 £5.00 Family £27.50 £25.00 One adult family £16.50 £15.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Cafe
Castle Café open daily
Kiosk
Stables Café open on weekends and school holidays
Car park
Shop
Dogs
Dim ond cŵn cymorth a ganiateir y tu mewn i'r castell. / Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the castle.
Toilet
Electric vehicle charging point
Gradually rising path from the car park towards the castle. Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilets at the visitor reception and courtyard.
Accessible toilet
Level access/terrain
By road
Tuag at Llandygai ar A5122. Mae arwyddion o gyffordd 11 ar yr A55. Ar gyfer Sat nav defnyddiwch LL57 4HT At Llandygai on A5122. Signposted from junction 11 of A55 and A5. Sat nav please use LL57 4HT
Parking: free, 500 yards
By train
Bangor - 3 milltir/ miles
By bus
Gwasanaethau o Fangor a Caernarfon i Llandudno, mae milltir o gerdded o'r safle bws ar hyd dreif y castell. Services from Bangor and Caernarfon to Llandudno, there is a mile walk from the bus alighting at the castle driveway.
Planning your visit
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Visiting Penrhyn Castle with your dog
Find out everything you need to know about bringing your dog to Penrhyn Castle.
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Group and school visits to Penrhyn Castle
Discover more at Penrhyn Castle with a wide range of learning experiences and activities for educational groups of all ages. Step back in time and find objects to intrigue.
PDF
PDF
Penrhyn Castle and Garden map
Take a look at the map of Penrhyn Castle and Garden to help plan your visit.
Highlights
Castle
A vast neo-Norman castle built between 1820 and 1837.
Garden
Walled Garden with fountains and plants in a structure that pre-dates the Castle and a jungle-esque Bog Garden.
Parkland
There are 60 acres of garden and woodland surrounding the Castle with views of Snowdonia’s summits as well as the Great Orme and Puffin Island.
Cwt Ogwen play area
A wooden hide with views across the river Ogwen and a Natural Woodland Play Area.
Victorian Kitchens
Victorian Kitchens include the Kitchen, the Scullery and the Pastry Room as well as some of the staff quarters.
Railway Museum
Museum displaying rails, coaches, sleepers, and a locomotive that illustrates some of the industrial history connecting the castle to the Penrhyn slate quarry.
Castle Cafe and Stable Cafe
Both the Castle Café and the Stable Café offer a host of hot and cold food and drinks.
The Stables Shop and The Horsebox Shop
The Stables shop and the Horsebox shop at the visitor centre offer original gifts and local products and a secondhand bookshop can be found in the Stables shop.
Things to see and do
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Family days out at Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn Castle’s grounds are your playground. Find out what's coming up on your next visit.
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Explore the estate at Penrhyn Castle
Why not take a stroll off the beaten track and visit the hide down by the River Ogwen. Families will also enjoy the natural play area. Remember to bring your wellies.
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Visiting the garden at Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn’s grounds and gardens are extensive and a feast for the senses. Find peace in the formal Walled Garden or explore the jungle-like Bog Garden.
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Visiting Penrhyn Castle
The castle exterior hides an opulent and lavishly decorated interior. A much-loved home to the Pennant family, learn about some of the glorious rooms you can see on your visit.
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Railway Museum at Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn Castle's Railway Museum is dedicated to industrial locomotives. Find out how these engines helped to build the Pennant family wealth at Penrhyn.
Spotlight events
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Christmas at Penrhyn Castle
The festive season is approaching. Find out more about what's on at Penrhyn over the Christmas period.
Top trails
Trail
Discover nature walk at Penrhyn Castle
Enjoy a circular walk around the lesser-known parts of the castle grounds as you discover a diverse range of wildlife and nature that call this place home.
Outdoor activities
Activity
Parkrun at Penrhyn Castle
Whether you’re getting back into fitness after a break, or want to try something new, discover more about Parkrun’s 5K hosted at Penrhyn Castle.
Eating and shopping
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Eating and shopping at Penrhyn Castle
Visit the Castle Café for delicious lunches and tempting cakes whilst the shop offers a range of locally sourced gifts. Browse the second-hand books for a bargain.
Places to stay
Cymryd
Stay at this wisteria-clad Grade II listed building with its spectacular garden and fascinating history close to Conwy and you'll feel like you've stepped back in time.
Porthdy Wiwer Goch
A quirky, period cottage on the Plas Newydd Estate.
Tal Y Braich
A cosy stone built cottage in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), in the shadow of Tryfan, perfect for adventurers and walkers.
Upcoming events
Event
Nadolig yng Nghastell Penrhyn / Christmas at Penrhyn Castle
Ymunwch â ni dros y Nadolig, mae digonedd i wneud. Darganfyddwch fwy am ddigwyddiad Nadolig Castell Penrhyn. **** The festive season is approaching. Find out more about what’s happening at Penrhyn Castle over Christmas.
About Penrhyn Castle and Garden
The dominating stone façade of Penrhyn Castle hides more than just its internal red-brick construction. Built in the early 19th century, its formidable architecture, opulent interiors and fine art collection lean on a long history of sugar and slate fortunes, social unrest and the longest-running industrial dispute in British history.
Owned by the Pennant family, Penrhyn is a key example of how wealth derived from slavery shaped the built environment of Wales and underpinned local working histories. A staunch anti-abolitionist, Richard Pennant's fortune – acquired from sugar plantations in Jamaica that used enslaved labour – funded roads, railways, schools, hotels, workers’ houses, churches and farms in North Wales. The Penrhyn Slate Quarry and Port Penrhyn, established by the Pennants, dominated the Welsh slate industry for almost 150 years. Penrhyn Castle’s vast rooms, rich neo-Norman architecture and opulent furnishings are steeped in these colonial histories.
Set on the Menai Straits, with a backdrop of the Eryri (Snowdonia) summits, Penrhyn Castle commands views to its quarry, and to the port from where the slate was exported around the world. It is surrounded by wooded and open parkland, ripe for exploring, and a walled garden that pre-dates the Castle and provides a calm haven for relaxation.
History
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History of Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Penrhyn Castle is the former home of the Pennant family built on the proceeds of the North Wales slate industry and sugar plantations in Jamaica.
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The Great Penrhyn Quarry Strike
Learn more about the history of the Great Penrhyn Quarry Strike, 1900-03, the longest running industrial dispute in British history. Discover why it ripped apart a community.
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Penrhyn Castle and slave trade history
Behind the formidable architecture, Victorian grandeur and fine interiors, present-day Penrhyn Castle’s foundations were built on a dark history of exploitation.
Art and collections
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What a World! exhibition at Penrhyn Castle
Take a look back at the What a World! exhibition that took a creative look at the objects in our collections that connect the castle to its colonial past.
Our work
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Our work with artists at Penrhyn Castle
Discover how Penrhyn Castle has worked with artists and local communities since the Artists in Residence project in 2015 to share the undiscovered histories.
Project
Project
Renewable energy at Penrhyn Castle
Learn how Penrhyn Castle said goodbye to oil-fuelled heating and made the change to biomass, reducing its carbon footprint and costs for years to come.
Support us
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Volunteer opportunities at Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Our volunteers are a vital part of the team at Penrhyn Castle. They support the conservation work and welcome visitors to the castle every day. If you are an enthusiastic and dedicated person, why not join our incredible team?