Llancaiach Fawr: Step back in time for a great family day out

If you’re looking for to a great day out this spring, there’s nowhere more atmospheric, fun-filled and spooky than a tourist attraction like Llancaiach Fawr Manor.
The living history museum near Caerphilly stands proudly as it has done for over 450 years and welcomes hundreds of families every year.
This superbly restored gentry manor house is no ordinary heritage attraction.
The costumed servants of the house, whose footsteps echo through the halls, welcome you on arrival and are living and working in 1645.
They can’t wait to tell you about all the gossip about the area, the master himself and of course any events that may be happening in the area.
Fires crackle, candles flicker and the sounds and smells of domestic life make your visit a memorable experience of the past as you become immersed in the time of the Civil Wars and the cares and concerns of ordinary people living in extraordinary times.
Time stands still at Llancaiach Fawr which has been restored and furnished as it would have been in 1645.
All the furnishings are accurate reproductions of items from the time of the Colonel Edward Prichard who changed his allegiance in 1645 from the Royalist to the Parliamentarian cause and completely redecorated the interior of the manor.
Originally built in 1530 on the site of an earlier medieval castle, the Manor was designed to be easily defended during the turbulent reigns of Tudors and is one of the finest examples of a semi-fortified manor in Wales today.
When Civil War broke out Colonel Prichard was appointed Commissioner of Array to the King, raising men and money for the Royalist cause in Glamorganshire.
By the middle of 1645 support was waning and King Charles I visited Llancaiach Fawr for lunch on 5th August.
Unimpressed by the King, the Prichard’s and many other Glamorgan gentry changed sides to support Parliament.
Visitors today are overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone age as they wander from room to room, up the grand staircase and through the panelled hallways and bedrooms.
However, once darkness falls, the real residents of Llancaiach Fawr Manor make their appearance.
Touring in search of the ghosts that remain here is a popular tourist attraction during the winter months.
Paranormal investigators consider Llancaiach Fawr Manor as one of the most atmospheric and haunted buildings in Wales.
Visit https://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/llancaiachfawr