Whilst in the city centre I thought I would introduce a friend to the magic that is the castle key card. This card can be given to anyone who lives in Cardiff for the cost of £5 and it last for 3 years a bargain to get into the castle whenever you want. As we had been around town for a long time we thought we would take advantage of the discount that the card also gave us in the café and stopped for a cuppa. There was beautiful sunshine outside so sat we on the outside seating area taking in the surrounding of the castle. Once we had refueled it was time to get exploring the mass area with inside the castle walls.
Firstly we headed to the east side of the wall up a path that had a hidden door leading into the inner walls. You first hear the sound of Winston Churchill echoing through and him making an announcement from the war. As you turn the corner it then becomes clear that this castle was used for shelter from bombing. Such things as bunk beds and seating along one side of the wall show the cramped conditions people hid in. Then the sound of bombs played over the recording to give you the full effect of the environment people were faced with. Along the walls a new feature was being put up, along the walls all the war propaganda the British used to keep Britain going. Such posters promoting women to make do and mend as well as people being green fingered and grow their own vegetables. The corridors truly set the scene and brought you back to the era in hand.
We then came to the end of the corridor and to a set of spiral stairs; unfortunately you could not go all the way to the top of the stairs for safety reasons. Taking this in hand we went are far as would allow to a balcony area which gave a stunning view of the castle grounds. Also an alcove in the outer wall being raised allowing you to watch the outside world go by oblivious of your presence. We went back down the spiraling stairs till it brought it to the back on the moat surrounding the keep in the middle of the castle. There were tones and tones of lily pads floating in the water making it very pretty. Walking alongside the moat being ever so careful not to fall in we got to a long stone wall which separated the inside path up to the keep.
Once wed walked the length of the wall unable to get to the bottom of the keep we looked in all its glory at the daunting stairs. Right at the bottom stood a sign warning you of steep stairs and it looked as if there were many. Seeing as 3 months ago I was unable to walk without the assistance of crutches this was a challenge I was willing to accept. The steps were in 3 sections so I would conquer one at a time. They surprisingly were not as steeps as I thought they would be so got to the top but with my poor calf’s feeling a bit sore. When we got to the top we entered through an arch into a circles grassed area which was beautiful with the sun shining down. You could see where the old stairs would have gone up the side but erosion had drastically crumbled it away. In its place was my next challenge the steepest stairs ever. I took a deep breath and went for it holding on ever so tight not wanting to do any damage to myself. This led into what was once a bedroom according to the information board but was so hard to imagine how someone could have lived in there. Finally the last challenge of all was the spiral stairs, only big enough to fit your foot onto it sideways. Taking my time one step and a time I finally made it to the top a great accomplishment for me and my body. When I got to the top I felt on top of the world and truly was.
The top of the keep gave you a great 360 view of the city for miles and miles. A sign indicated that if you look into the distance you could see the faint image of another great castle, castell coch. If you looked in the opposite direction you could see all the way to the bay with the millennium centres architecture standing out bold and beautiful. Many other sites were visible from the millennium stadium, swelec stadium, city hall as well as the stunning Bute Park. I could of only imagined what it looked like before it was urbanised especially back in roman times, being able to see for miles around for ambushes of enemies. Eventually it was time to make it back down the stairs. I got to the bottom but I would warn anyone who has any medical issues to take care on those stairs they sure are tricky to maneuver.
Unfortunately time was getting on and a long day was coming to an end so we ran out of time explore the whole of the castle grounds. We missed out on going into the main castle, the apartments, the clock tower and seeing some of the birds on the grounds. This has left me a great excuse to use my castle key card to its full extent and come back in the not to distance feature. With it being a lovely place to bask in the sunshine or to attend one of their many events held throughout the year. My day out in the castle was a very enjoyable experience and I conquered a great mountain that was the keep, a great achievement for me just 3 months after surgery.
Pictures in the gallery