Flint Castle
Overview
The earliest and most unusual of Wales’ English-built castles
Fans of military architecture make a bee-line for Flint. The first castle to be founded as part Edward I’s campaign against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last) in north Wales, it boasts a unique and unusually sophisticated design.
Started in 1277 and largely completed by 1284, the castle is dominated by the great tower (or donjon) at its south-east corner. Surrounded by its own moat and accessed via a drawbridge, it’s essentially a castle within a castle. Built with exceptionally thick walls and equipped with all the facilities required to withstand a siege, it was presumably intended to be a final refuge in the event of an attack.
Flint Castle is also famous as the location of a fateful meeting in 1399 between Richard II and his rival to the crown Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV), an event immortalised in Shakespeare’s Richard II.
Opening times
Daily 10am–4pm
Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January
Prices
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Admission |
Free
|
Facilities
Public car parks signposted within town with good access to the castle.
One dedicated disabled space approx. 100 metres away.
Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.
Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance
Smoking is not permitted.
Directions
Postcode CH6 5PH
For further information, please contact: Traveline Cymru on 0800 464 0000 or National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.
