Denbigh Castle
Mighty fortress evokes the drama of medieval warfare
It was once the royal residence of Dafydd ap Gruffudd, whose attack on nearby Hawarden Castle provoked the English king Edward I to mount a full-scale invasion. By 1282 Denbigh was the in hands of the king’s commander Henry de Lacy.
He lost no time in building a huge stone fortress with extensive town walls on top of Dafydd’s stronghold. But the Welsh weren’t finished just yet. The half-complete castle was attacked and captured and, by the time they got it back, the English had changed the blueprint.
They made the curtain walls much higher, added the imposing gatehouse and inserted an ingenious ‘sally port’ – a secure secret doorway – so defenders could sneak out in an emergency.
How to visit
- purchase your admission tickets on arrival or book online to save 5%*
- view our opening times and prices below
- check Welsh Government health & safety advice before visiting.
*Booking online guarantees the best price for your visit.
You can book tickets up to 24 hours in advance.
Online ticket prices include a 5% discount and are non-refundable.
Gallery
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Opening times & prices
Opening times
| 3rd April - 2nd November | 10am-5pm (Closed Tues-Wed) |
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| 3rd November - 31st March | 10am-4pm (Closed Mon-Thurs) |
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Last admission 30 minutes before closing Closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January
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Prices
| Category | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Members - Join now |
Free
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| Adult |
£6.50
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| Family* |
£20.70
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| Disabled person and companion |
Free
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| Juniors (Aged 5-17) / Students** |
£4.50
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| Seniors (Aged 65+) |
£5.80
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*Admits 2 adults and up to 3 children. All children under 5 receive free entry **Student photo ID card required to be shown on entry Blue Light Card holders and HM Armed Forces & Veterans receive 10% off individual admission (not available online). |
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| Category | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Members - Join now |
Free
|
|
| Adult |
£6.20
|
|
| Family* |
£19.80
|
|
| Disabled person and companion |
Free
|
|
| Juniors (Aged 5-17) / Students** |
£4.30
|
|
| Seniors (Aged 65+) |
£5.50
|
|
|
*Admits 2 adults and up to 3 children. All children under 5 receive free entry **Student photo ID card required to be shown on entry Blue Light Card holders and HM Armed Forces & Veterans receive 10% off individual admission (not available online). |
||
Visitor information
Access guide
Please read our accessibility guidance for information on how to plan your visit.
Baby changing
Toilets available with baby changing facilities.
Bikes access
Bike storage area available in car park or close to site.
Car park
Narrow road access to the castle car park which is situated approx. 100 metres from the castle entrance.
There is a gravelled car parking area adjacent to the castle which holds approx. 15 cars.
There is one dedicated accessible parking space.
Dogs welcome
Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.
EV charging points
Car charging points - Two Type 2 (22kW) electric charge points available in castle car park — charges for use apply
Portable hearing
A portable induction loop is available.
Toilets
Toilets are located in the visitor centre.
Walking difficulty
Terrain: Level 1 – Accessible
Exhibition
On-site exhibition within monument.
Gift shop
Gift shop at this site offering a range of products and guidebooks.
Venue hire
This site is available to hire for events, filming and exhibitions.
Wi-Fi
Cadw free public WiFi available at this site.
Drone policy
Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance
No smoking
Smoking is not permitted.
School visits
To book your free self-led education visit to this site, go to our self-led education visits section.
While you're there, check out our free learning resources to help with your time travel adventure!
Health & Safety
There is a slight incline up into the castle from the car park, using the main footpath and the castles bridge. The bridge may be slippery when wet.
Gravel paths provide visitors with a route around the monument and external stairs offer access to the upper wall walk. Please use the handrails where provided. The steps may be wet during poor weather, we ask that you take care when descending from the upper level.
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.
Please do not climb upon the castle, naturally there are areas where there are hidden drops.
Climbing may result in serious injury.
Please avoid taking short cuts over the monument, there are hidden drops in some locations.
As with all ancient monuments there is always a risk of stones being dislodged in bad weather, however, we manage this through extensive monitoring.
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
Some or all of the following warning signs may be found situated around the site. Please pay attention where appropriate.
Steep and uneven steps
Falls from height
Slippery or uneven surfaces
Falling masonry
Directions
Address
Castle Hill, Denbigh LL16 3NB
For contractors, educational visits and deliveries please ring 01745 813385
Rydym yn croesawu galwadau’n Gymraeg / We welcome calls in Welsh.
Telephone 03000 252239
Email DenbighCastle@gov.wales
Postcode LL16 3NB
what3words: ///valued.rejoiced.strapped
For further information, please contact: Traveline Cymru on 0800 464 0000 or National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.
