Castell Oxwich — Attraction in Penrice

Oxwich Castle is an Elizabethan Mansion House from the 16th Century. One part is well preserved and through the entrance to this part, you can find the reception and shop and a happy friendly lady to offer guidance. It costs from £2.40 to £4 to enter (at time of writing - valid till March 2019) or free for Cadw members. The carpark is free but is for Castle visitors only and is is only open during castle opening times.

Through the shop you can access two rooms to the right on the same floor which house long tables where activities may take place. Or left though the shop takes you upstairs to 2 more rooms where you can dress up in Elizabethan clothing and try out the kind of beds they used to sleep in. Be warned, some people may find it difficult to get back out the bed! There is also an old writing desk equipped with paper, ink and a quill for you to try your hand at some Elizabethan writing.

Back outside, you can access the rest of the mansion which feels more befitting of the name Oxwich Castle as it feels more like a castle than a house. However, this part is in ruins as it was left unused. There are a few rooms to enter, but none (with the exception of the cellars) have a roof.

We visited during a heatwave and it all looked lovely and was easily accessible for able bodied people, but I imagine some parts get a little muddy in the usual rainy Welsh weather. If you need to wash your hands or relieve yourself, there are toilets around the back of the mansion. You may notice these on your way up the path from the carpark.

Oxwich Castle is set in pretty scenery and the information provided says that Oxwich Bay could be seen from certain parts of the Mansion. This is no longer possible, but the Bay is not far away if you fancy a quick trip there. Indeed, if you're feeling a little energetic, there is a downloadable 3.5 mile walk that takes in both Bay and Castle in a circular route.

One thing that made this visit a little less inviting was the road leading down to it. You have to drive down a country lane and when we visited, there was a queue that took an hour to creep downhill. It was only at the bottom that we realised that the queue was for the Bay car park, and had we realised, we may have been able (with one of us going ahead to warn any oncoming traffic) to overtake this queue. When we arrived at the Castle car park, it was empty!

Overall, this Castle is well worth a visit, but as it takes some effort to get there, and the Castle itself doesn't take very long to view, I would recommend making a day of it and visiting the Bay and maybe...

Appearances can be deceptive. Oxwich Castle, towering splendidly above the wide sweep of Oxwich Bay, isn’t really a castle at all.

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From the moment you walk through the imposing gateway emblazoned with the arms of Sir Rice Mansel, it’s clear this was the home of a gentry family looking to be movers and shakers in the prosperous years of the...

Very interesting castle ruins and information centre. Prices were very agreeable at just under £11 for two adults and one child, car parking is free. The information centre had an upstairs part to it with a selection of furniture and dressing up clothes. Downstairs was a calligraphy demonstration and a small kitchen area. The castle ruins itself was very interesting and has info boards dotted around. It's a great place for all the family, for a morning or...