Maintenance Works to Nant Gledyr Silt Trap and Moat Embankment

Cadw are undertaking routine maintenance works to the Silt Trap at the inlet of Nant Gledyr into the South Lake adjacent to Crescent Road in order to restore its maximum capacity.

We are also dredging an adjacent area of the lake to restore a 1 metre depth of water to benefit the fish population and other ecology.
A temporary fish boom will be deployed within the lake immediately adjacent to the work area to protect the fish stock.

A section of moat embankment near Crescent Road, has suffered erosion and its profile will be restored and strengthened using gabions and coir rolls.
The gabions will be largely underwater when the lake is at its normal level and the coir rolls will be seeded to encourage the growth of reeds and grasses to achieve a more natural appearance.

These works are scheduled for completion by April 2019; we apologise for any inconvenience during this essential maintenance work.

Like the famous cheese, the castle has long been synonymous with Caerphilly. It dominates. Hogs the limelight. Think slumbering giant awaiting a call to arms. It’s also a great backdrop for TV and film. It secured a starring role recently in the popular BBC TV series Merlin.

This stone behemoth, surrounded by a series of moats and watery islands was the brainchild of Gilbert ‘the Red’ de Clare, a redheaded nobleman of Norman descent. He also built the original Castell Coch, ‘Red Castle’, located the other side of Caerphilly mountain.

Gilbert de Clare and Llywelyn ap Gruffydd were contemporaries at war and early attempts by Gilbert to build a castle were thwarted by the Welsh prince. Gilbert eventually won through and built a mammoth stronghold using the concentric ‘walls within walls’ system of defence. He also made sure there were large and comfortable rooms to live in.

However, once the threat posed by Llywelyn was quelled by Edward I, the raison d’etre for this massive fortress changed. The castle’s condition worsened until late in the 19th century when the third marquess of Bute began preservation work. We have a lot to thank the Butes for in South Wales.

Purchase your Cadw guidebook here…

'Gilbert's Maze' is currently closed temporarily for essential maintenance work. Apologies for any inconvenience.