Become a member
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Castell ffantasi gyda sylfeini diwydiannol a threfedigaethol | Fantasy castle with industrial and colonial foundations
Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4HT
Opening times for 25 November 2024
Asset Opening time Castell | Castle Closed Ceginau Fictoraidd | Victorian kitchens Closed Gardd | Garden Closed Siop | Shop Closed Caffi | Café Closed Mynediad olaf am 3yp / Last entry at 3pm
MTWTFSS282930311234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829301OpenPartially openClosedFull Property
Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £16.50 £15.00 Child £8.30 £7.50 Family £41.30 £37.50 One adult family £24.80 £22.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Café
Castle Café open daily
Kiosk
Stables Café open on weekends and school holidays
Car park
Shop
Dogs allowed
Dim ond cŵn cymorth a ganiateir y tu mewn i'r castell. / Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the castle.
Toilet
Electric vehicle charging point
Gradually rising path from the car park towards the castle. Blue Badge parking. Accessible toilets at the visitor reception and courtyard.
Accessible toilet
Level access/terrain
By road
Tuag at Llandygai ar A5122. Mae arwyddion o gyffordd 11 ar yr A55. Ar gyfer Sat nav defnyddiwch LL57 4HT At Llandygai on A5122. Signposted from junction 11 of A55 and A5. Sat nav please use LL57 4HT
Parking: free, 500 yards
By train
Bangor - 3 milltir/ miles
By bus
Gwasanaethau o Fangor a Caernarfon i Llandudno, mae milltir o gerdded o'r safle bws ar hyd dreif y castell. Services from Bangor and Caernarfon to Llandudno, there is a mile walk from the bus alighting at the castle driveway.
Planning your visit
Article
Things to know before arriving at Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Find general information to help plan your visit.
Article
Visiting Penrhyn Castle with your dog
Find out everything you need to know about bringing your dog to Penrhyn Castle.
Article
Group and school visits to Penrhyn Castle
Discover more at Penrhyn Castle with a wide range of learning experiences and activities for educational groups of all ages. Step back in time and find objects to intrigue.
PDF
PDF
Penrhyn Castle and Garden map
Take a look at the map of Penrhyn Castle and Garden to help plan your visit.
Highlights
Castle
A vast neo-Norman castle built between 1820 and 1837.
Garden
Walled Garden with fountains and plants in a structure that pre-dates the Castle and a jungle-esque Bog Garden.
Parkland
There are 60 acres of garden and woodland surrounding the Castle with views of Snowdonia’s summits as well as the Great Orme and Puffin Island.
Cwt Ogwen play area
A wooden hide with views across the river Ogwen and a Natural Woodland Play Area.
Victorian Kitchens
Victorian Kitchens include the Kitchen, the Scullery and the Pastry Room as well as some of the staff quarters.
Castle Cafe and Stable Cafe
Both the Castle Café and the Stable Café offer a host of hot and cold food and drinks.
The Castle Shop
The Castle Shop offers original gifts and local products.
Second-hand bookshop
Discover a range of second-hand books in the stable block.
Spotlight events
Article
Christmas at Penrhyn Castle
Over Christmas in 2024 at Penrhyn Castle our luxurious decorated rooms are the perfect backdrop for quality time with your loved ones. We'll discover the pastimes that continue to bring us together at this special time of year.
Things to see and do
Article
Family days out at Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn Castle’s grounds are your playground. Find out what's coming up on your next visit.
Article
The 'Ailfframio' Exhibition
A picture paints a thousand words… or does it? Find out more about the exhibition in the Grand Hall that has been created by local community groups.
Article
Explore the estate at Penrhyn Castle
Why not take a stroll off the beaten track and visit the hide down by the River Ogwen. Families will also enjoy the natural play area. Remember to bring your wellies.
Article
Visiting the garden at Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn’s grounds and gardens are extensive and a feast for the senses. Find peace in the formal Walled Garden or explore the jungle-like Bog Garden.
Article
Visiting Penrhyn Castle
The castle exterior hides an opulent and lavishly decorated interior. A much-loved home to the Pennant family, learn about some of the glorious rooms you can see on your visit.
Article
Coming soon: Industrial Penrhyn
Penrhyn Castle's Stable block is currently closed whilst we develop a new experience arriving later in 2024. Find out what's happening here.
Top trails
Trail
Discover nature walk at Penrhyn Castle
Enjoy a circular walk around the lesser-known parts of the castle grounds as you discover a diverse range of wildlife and nature that call this place home.
Trail
Accessible trail at Penrhyn Castle and Garden
This trail takes you around the castle grounds and is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Outdoor activities
Activity
Parkrun at Penrhyn Castle
Whether you’re getting back into fitness after a break, or want to try something new, discover more about Parkrun’s 5K hosted at Penrhyn Castle.
Eating and shopping
Article
Eating and shopping at Penrhyn Castle
Visit the Castle Café for delicious lunches and tempting cakes whilst the shop offers a range of locally sourced gifts. Browse the second-hand books for a bargain.
Places to stay
Cymryd
This converted Welsh hall house is full of historical features and wrapped in a mature and much-loved garden. Follow the path from the sheltered courtyard to the estuary and on to Conwy.
Porthdy Wiwer Goch
A quirky, period cottage on the Plas Newydd Estate. Spot red squirrels in the nearby woodland and wander the grounds after visitors have gone home.
Tal Y Braich
A cosy stone built cottage in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), in the shadow of Tryfan, perfect for adventurers and walkers.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Penrhyn Castle and Garden
The dominating stone façade of Penrhyn Castle hides more than just its internal red-brick construction. Built in the early 19th century, its formidable architecture, opulent interiors and fine art collection lean on a long history of sugar and slate fortunes, social unrest and the longest-running industrial dispute in British history.
Owned by the Pennant family, Penrhyn is a key example of how wealth derived from slavery shaped the built environment of Wales and underpinned local working histories. A staunch anti-abolitionist, Richard Pennant's fortune – acquired from sugar plantations in Jamaica that used enslaved labour – funded roads, railways, schools, hotels, workers’ houses, churches and farms in North Wales. The Penrhyn Slate Quarry and Port Penrhyn, established by the Pennants, dominated the Welsh slate industry for almost 150 years. Penrhyn Castle’s vast rooms, rich neo-Norman architecture and opulent furnishings are steeped in these colonial histories.
Set on the Menai Straits, with a backdrop of the Eryri (Snowdonia) summits, Penrhyn Castle commands views to its quarry, and to the port from where the slate was exported around the world. It is surrounded by wooded and open parkland, ripe for exploring, and a walled garden that pre-dates the Castle and provides a calm haven for relaxation.
History
Article
History of Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Penrhyn Castle is the former home of the Pennant family built on the proceeds of the North Wales slate industry and sugar plantations in Jamaica.
Article
The Great Penrhyn Quarry Strike
Learn more about the history of the Great Penrhyn Quarry Strike, 1900-03, the longest running industrial dispute in British history. Discover why it ripped apart a community.
Article
Penrhyn Castle and slave trade history
Behind the formidable architecture, Victorian grandeur and fine interiors, present-day Penrhyn Castle’s foundations were built on a dark history of exploitation.
Art and collections
Article
The 'Ailfframio' Exhibition
A picture paints a thousand words… or does it? Find out more about the exhibition in the Grand Hall that has been created by local community groups.
Our work
Article
What a World! exhibition at Penrhyn Castle
Take a look back at the What a World! exhibition that took a creative look at the objects in our collections that connect the castle to its colonial past.
Article
Our work with artists at Penrhyn Castle
Discover how Penrhyn Castle has worked with artists and local communities since the Artists in Residence project in 2015 to share the undiscovered histories.
Project
Project
Renewable energy at Penrhyn Castle
Learn how Penrhyn Castle said goodbye to oil-fuelled heating and made the change to biomass, reducing its carbon footprint and costs for years to come.
Support us
Article
Volunteer opportunities at Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Our volunteers are a vital part of the team at Penrhyn Castle. They support the conservation work and welcome visitors to the castle every day. If you are an enthusiastic and dedicated person, why not join our incredible team?
Latest news
Press release
Penrhyn Castle plans to share more about its industrial history in a new experience as it rehomes some of its locomotives
Penrhyn Castle and Garden are working to develop a new experience in the Stable Block to share stories of Penrhyn’s industrial history and bring to the forefront items in the collection that haven’t been shared before.
Press release
How 3 locations, 5,000 miles apart are working together to tackle climate change in North Wales and Zanzibar
From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, three sites join forces to withstand coastal change and share experiences through a unique twinning project by the International National Trust Organisation.