Castle hunting and time travel to medieval England and Wales

The fussy tourist
Feb 2, 2019
9 min read

Updated: Aug 7, 2019

Ever thought of packing your family in a rental car and drive 2000 km to visit every medieval corner of Southern UK? Well, I have. And here's my carefully planned itinerary.

If you love medieval castles, gothic cathedrals and cliffs overlooking the ocean, and your perfect day includes shoving delicious cakes in your face every day at 5 o'clock, this is a perfect route for your family road trip. Only note: maybe visit this part of the world in summer, when the sun is most likely to shine at least 3 out of 10 days.

Canterbury

The first stop of our road trip is Canterbury, a medieval town at a one hour drive from London. Famously known for Chaucer's 14th century classic "The Canterbury Tales", the city and its cathedral have been places of pilgrimage since 1170, following the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket. Founded in 597, Canterbury Cathedral was largely rebuilt after a fire burned it down in 1174. The reconstruction was assigned to the French architect William of Sens, who turned the church into the first gothic cathedral in England. To this day, Canterbury Cathedral is seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primate of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The Trinity Chapel, crown jewel of the cathedral, hosts the remains of Saint Thomas and King Henry 4th.

Dover

The town of Dover is just at a 30 minutes' drive from Canterbury and hosts the White Cliffs of Dover, the second most majestic cliffs I've ever seen after the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, and a magnificent medieval castle, perfectly preserved and dominating the landscape of the entire area. Dover Castle, started in the 11th century, is the biggest castle in England and has been defined as the "Key to England" for its significance in the country's war history. The highlights of the fortress are the Great Tower, the Medieval tunnels and the WW2 fire command posts.

I would advise you to visit the castle in the morning, have lunch at the castle restaurant, and save the White Cliffs for the afternoon. This way you can do the hike on the edge of the cliffs after lunch, have the 5 o'clock tea & cake at the South Foreland Lighthouse, and hike back while the sun is setting on the English Channel.

These cliffs are particularly dear to me because I've always been moved by the story of the evacuation of more than 300,000 British, French, Polish, Belgian and Dutch soldiers stranded in the French town of Dunkirk (on the other side of the Dover Strait) at the mercy of Germany during WW2. Looking at the sea from the cliffs, I dare you not to tear up while imagining the fleet of brave British civilians sailing to France to save their compatriots and allies.

Hastings

Driving along the Southern coast of England, another stop worthy of your time is the sea town of Hastings. The town, founded in the 8th century by the the Anglo-Saxon tribe of the Haestingas, gave its name to the famous Battle of Hastings of 1066, which started the Norman Conquest of England. The town's highlight is Hastings Castle, built in 1070 by the Normans, on the West Hill, overlooking the town centre. Little remains of the castle: thegothic arch from the chapel, the lower part of the walls and traces of the dungeons. The site includes a small movie theatre where you can see an informative video on the Battle of Hastings and the town's history. You may want to stay in town for a quick lunch on the seafront. My recommendation is Taylor's Seafood and Burger Restaurant: the prawn sandwich is a gamechanger.

Brighton

On the road to Wales you may want to stop for a quick break in Brighton. The town is famous for its 9 km of pebble beaches and night life. Brighton and its Palace Pier are featured in a number of popular movies.

Cardiff

After 580 km on the road, here we are in Cardiff. The capital of Wales counts 500,000 people in its urban area and 21 millions visitors a year. The city is an active cultural center but lacks the hectic pace of saying London or Edinburgh or Belfast. People here are super nice and very chill, as in the rest of this beautiful state. Two days are enough to visit the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, housing a collection of landscape paintings, the works of all famous Welsh artists and some pieces by Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Expressionist artists (Monet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Rodin, Kokoschka), and Cardiff Castle.

The motte and bailey castle, in ruin today, dates back to the 11th century, was built by Norman invaders and was the heart of medieval Cardiff. The octagonal tower was added during the renovations carried out by Lord Warwik in the 15th century. Significant changes were made again in the mid-18th century, when Lord Bute commissioned a remodeling of the Georgian mansion to the architect William Burges. The interior of the palace, including the Guest Tower, the Arab Room, the Chaucer Room, the Nursery, the Library, the Banqueting Hall and the bedrooms replicate the interior of a Victorian country house and can be visited today.

The medieval structures of the castle served its defensive purpose again during WW2 when the walls provided 1800 people shelter from the air raids. Thanks to a great exhibition installed inside the fortification itself, the visitor can experience how those people survived inside the walls and what they went through.

If you have time, spend an afternoon strolling around the city center: sun or rain, the streets of Cardiff are often full of artists and musicians. And if you decide to take a walk in Bute Park, don't miss out on the occasion of having your afternoon tea at Pettigrew Tea Rooms. This lovely little teahouse, located at the park entrance, offers a variety of hot drinks (their chai latte is simply amazing) and any kind of cake and bake. I personally recommend the carrot cake and the double chocolate cake. Also try their traditional Welsh tea cakes, soft cookies with cinnamon and raisins, that you are encouraged to dunk in your hot drink.

While in Cardiff, you may want to check out the ruins of the oldest Cistercian monastery in Wales and the second oldest in Britan. Tintern Abbey is located in Southeastern Wales at a one hour drive from Cardiff. It was founded in 1131, but the remains you can admire today are a mixture of structures built between 1136 and 1536. This impressive building survived the Black Death, the devastation due to the Welsh uprising against the English Kings and the Dissolution of the Monasteries by order of King Henry VIII. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre like me (novels, movies, series what have you) you are going to have chills and watery eyes as soon as you enter the abbey's gates. Nerd discretion advised.

Caerphilly

Here starts the second part of our trip, dedicated to discovering Wales greatest castles. Leaving Cardiff, the first one you come across is Caerphilly Castle. Located in the homonymous town, it is the second largest castle in Britain and it is famous for having introduced to the UK an innovative defensive system, constituted by concentric walls, artificial lakes and large gatehouses. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century as part of his campaign to conquer the Welsh county of Glamorgan. The suggestive atmosphere of this wonderfully preseved medieval castle made it ideal for filming fantasy shows like Doctor Who.

Llyn Clywedog

The other two great castles in Wales are located in the Northern part of the state. As suggested by the GPS navigator, we leave the highway A470 around Llanidloes and take a detour on the B4518. This happens to be a panoramic route passing by a spectacular artificial lake. Llyn Clywedog is a reservoir holding the water of the river Severn. It provides a great habitat for wildlife: you can easily spot birds of prey like the gorgeous Red Kite in the pictures below. Clywedog is the perfect place to stretch your legs after hours in the car and breathe in some fresh air while enjoying a memorable view.

Conwy

Conwy Castle is a medieval fortification built between 1283 and 1289. UNESCO considers Conwy Castle to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe"; the castle is classed as a World Heritage site together with other three castles that constituted the so-called Iron Ring of fortifications built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales. Conwy castle is truly massive: it takes two to three hours to visit all the rooms and outside spaces and you will want to climb all the towers to experience different views of the castle in its entirety and of the town of Conwy. Conwy is a charming little sea town full of shops (medieval gift shops especially) and restaurants. Beyond the castle, the town hosts one of the best preserved 16th centuries houses in the UK. Plas Mawr (in English Great Hall) is an Elizabethan townhouse. Built by Robert Wynn between 1576 and 1585, the house remained almost unchanged from the 16th century, and the historian Rick Turner considers it "the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era" with its unique blend of continental Reinassance and local influences.

Caernarfron

Caernarfron Castle was built in the 11th century as a motte-and-bailey fortification, but in 1283 King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure. The Edwardian town of Caernarfron and its keep acted as the administrative centre of north Wales and this is the reason why its defences are so impressive. Together with Conwy and two other castles, Caernarfron is part of the Iron Ring of fortifications declared UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the opinion of military historian Allen Brown, the defensive system of Caernarfon Castle, with its polygonal towers, battlements and firing galleries, made it "one of the most formidable concentrations of fire-power to be found in the Middle Ages".

Stratford-upon-Avon

After one week touring Wales, it is time to get back to good old England. On the road to London there are two more towns that just scream British medieval history. The first one is Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare. This lovely little town houses three buildings strictly related to the life and death of the poet.

The Holy Trinity Church dates back to 1210 and it's built on the site of a Saxon monastery. The church, among the most visited of England, is located on the banks of the river Avon, and holds the grave of William Shakespeare and the records of his birth and burial.

The other two buildings are Shakespeare's Birthplace and Hall's Croft, respectively the house where the poet was born and spent his youth, and the residence of Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna. These townhouses and their furnishings date back to the 16th century and are two perfectly preserved examples of Elizabethan residential architecture. Both houses have been turned into museums and can be visited. Shakespeare's Birthplace hosts theatrical events where Shakespeare's plays are reenacted by professional actors while Hall's Croft hosts an exhibition about Dr. John Hall, Susanna's husband, and the medical practices of the period.

Cambridge

The last stop of our road trip is the university town of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and it's the fourth oldest university in the world (after Bologna, Oxford and Salamanca). The university is made up of 31 colleges. My advice is to pick a college to visit and dedicate the rest of the day to strolling around the town and along the river Cam. Our pick was King's College. It was founded in 1441 and its buildings are located in the heart of the city on the river banks. King's College Chapel is considered one of the greatest example of gothic architecture in England: the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era.

Where to eat

The Three Horseshoes Inn | Brecon | $$ | threehorseshoesgroesffordd.co.uk

This small family run restaurant is in the middle of the Welsh countryside, near Brecon Beacons National Park. The initial impression is that of a regular pub so imagine our suprise when these wonderfully presented dishes arrived. And the flavors are all there too. The meat in particular was cooked masterfully: everything from the roasted chicken thighs, to the rack of lamb, to the burgers were juicy and perfectly seasoned. This is the place to truly experience Welsh kitchen at the highest level and yet very affordable prices.

Characters Teahouse & Hot Stone Restaurant | Llandudno | $ | charactersllandudno.com

If you happen to stop in the sea town of Llandudno (10 minutes from Conwy by car) on a rainy afternoon, it's literally inevitable to stop here for a 5 o'clock tea and cake. This delightful little teahouse has a wide variety of teas, infusions and, above all, mouthwatering decadent cakes. This is the right place to taste some traditional UK specialties like carrot cake, devil's food cake and red velvet cake.

Where to sleep

Y Pengwern | Llan Ffestiniog | $$ | booking.com/hotel/gb/y-pengwern-ffestiniog.html

This family run inn is located in Northwestern Wales at only 40 minutes to Caernarfron castle and 50 minutes to Conwy castle by car; this is a strategic accomodation if you are touring Northern Wales. The rooms are ok, but the welcome and food are outstanding. You can tell the inn is run by family and friends: everyone is nice and chatty and the dishes coming out of the kitchen are cooked with love and care for traditions. The guinness stew pie is just straight delicious. Plus, if you love spooky places, the inn is right next to the village cemetery which you can visit any time. If you dare.

Ingon Bank Farm | Stratford-upon-Avon | $$ | booking.com/hotel/gb/ingon-bank-farm-bed-and-breakfast.html

If you want to experience life in the English countryside, this B&B run by the nicest and coolest couple of Brits ever, is the perfect accomodation when visiting Stratford-upon-Avon. The rooms are well-finished to the littlest detail and so are the common spaces. Their traditional English breakfast is rich and tasty and made with prime ingredients cooked and seasoned to perfection.