Kimberley's Story

Valleys’ actress and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama graduate, Kimberley Nixon, has starred in a string of TV series’ and big-budget films working alongside the likes of Colin Firth and Eddie Redmayne.

We caught up with the Pontypridd-born star, who revealed her favourite site, as well as the Cadw castle she thinks would make for the perfect film set…

What is your favourite Cadw site and what makes it special to you? My favourite Cadw site is Castell Coch. It’s near to where I live and grew up and I went there on school trips as a kid.

What’s the best bit about it? It’s quite unusual and distinctive from other Welsh castles as it has a fairy-tale look about it. The pointed roofs, cylindrical towers and the fact it’s nestled in the trees give it a magical quality. The surrounding woods and Fforest Fawr are wonderful for walks with my dog.

You’ve starred in many TV series’ and big films. If you were tasked with choosing the perfect film location at a Cadw site, which one would you choose and why?

I’d love to film in Caerphilly Castle. It’s such a huge site. I studied it for GCSE History so I know it pretty well. I like that it’s right in the middle of town. I think it could be a fantastic set for anything from a period drama to an edgy, contemporary murder mystery!

Which other Cadw sites do you hope to visit soon? I’ve yet to visit Parc cenedlaethol Eryri (Snowdonia National Park) and I’d love to visit Castell Cricieth; I have lots of friends up there and it looks beautiful.

What have you got coming up in 2017? 2017 is pretty free for me. It’s always exciting to not know what’s next. Scripts come in to read and prepare and you don’t know who you’ll be working with in the next couple of months. I’ve also been enjoying lots of radio work, which is a really fun genre.