Carew Cross

Visitor Notice

Please note: Carew Castle and Tidal Mill is not a Cadw property and admission to the castle and mill is not included with Cadw membership.

Celtic art, Cadw icon

Standing an impressive 13ft/4m in height, this exceptional, intricately carved Celtic cross is believed to be a memorial to a fallen Welsh king. A Latin inscription on the base of the monument has been translated as ‘The Cross of Margiteut son of Etguin’, thought to be a reference to Mareddud, a descendent of law-maker Hywel Dda, who ruled the ancient kingdom Deheubarth and died in battle in 1035. Alongside the inscription, the cross is carved with elaborate patterns of knots and plaits.

Ancient Celtic design at its finest, it has contemporary relevance as inspiration for our very own Cadw logo.

Opening times & prices

Opening times

1st April - 31st March	Open all year
Open all year — during reasonable daylight hours

Visitor information

Car park

Car park alongside Castle Lane off A4075. No toilets.

Dogs welcome

Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.

Walking difficulty

Terrain: Level 1 – Accessible

Drone policy

Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance

No smoking

Smoking is not permitted.

Health & Safety

Care and attention must be paid when visiting this monument. It will be regularly exposed to the natural elements and may be slippery or muddy underfoot.

Appropriate footwear for the season and type of monument must be considered prior to your visit. Please only attend during the set opening hours, these have been chosen for your safety i.e. appropriate level of lighting.

Many of our monuments are located at areas of height, attention must also be paid therefore to the surrounding areas, ditches and moats when visiting.

Guardrails have been installed to prevent access to any areas of the site that we have deemed as dangerous or to prevent falls in specific areas. Please do not climb over or through any fixed installation.

Any handrail provided should be used to help you safely navigate historic steps, as these may be uneven and may be of different height.

As with all ancient monuments there is always a risk of stones being dislodged in bad weather, however, we manage this through extensive monitoring.

Climbing may result in serious injury.

There are several wild plants and flowers, although these are great pollinators, they may be poisonous to visitors and animals, we strongly advise you not to touch or allow dogs to eat any vegetation.

Please watch our health & safety film before visiting Cadw sites.

Iechyd a Diogelwch / Health and Safety

Please report any anti-social behaviour such as climbing, setting fires, graffiti etc. to CadwAccidentsReports@gov.wales

The following signs can be found around the site at key areas of risk, please pay attention where appropriate.