National Trust property on the outskirts of Bangor. --------------- The Castle, garden, parkland, shop and cafe are now open. This includes our 'What a World!' exhibition on the ground floor. The Victorian Kitchens and Railway Museum remain closed. On weekdays you don't need to pre-book your visit. At busier times, like weekends, bank holidays and school holidays, booking is recommended to guarantee entry. -------------------- Built on a history of sugar plantations, slave ownership and slate quarrying, its colonial history and bitter relationship with the local community means that Penrhyn is a property that still splits opinions today. #1 Attraction in Bangor and a great day out for all.
We spent most of the day here, the whole story, history and site is incredible. Everything about it is big and over the top; a huge mock castle in grey stone, in enormous landscaped grounds, with endless views across the mountains and sea. On the walk up to the castle, info sculptures gently introduced you to the unimaginable wealth of the Pennant family who built it. They point out that everything in all directions belonged to them, and only two other people in Wales owned more land. The story gets worse as you learn that Jamaican plantation blood money paid for their slate quarry, which then returned colossal wealth during the industrial revolution. The exploitation, destruction and legacy are difficult to stomach. The castle is an obscene display of shameless wealth. While standing in the opulence of the gentleman's library with its overbearing archways and fireplaces, the only conclusion is that Lord Penrhyn was a disgusting and pretty tasteless human. Their desperate attempts to portray old money and royal links are cringe worthy. Walking round you'll be wincing at the huge tacky furniture and questionable art collection. These people were the premier league footballers of their day. We enjoyed the visit, which was made even better by the knowledgeable staff and honest portrayal of the sites history. It's a fantastic glimpse into one of many dirty periods of British elitism and the ultra rich.
This is an absolute % gem from views for photos and the history and gardens it as it all. Fantastic spent like a good 4-hour tour. Great food hall plenty of spaces . And out door spaces for picnics, plenty of choice. Great places for the children to play and roam freely with plenty of garden games to keep them happy
Stunning building with great grounds. Views from the castle are amazing. Some of the skills that have gone into building the castle are fantastic. The stairway carved from stone must have taken years! There's plenty of exploring to do in grounds also.
Stunning castle inside and out,with staff in each room to offer information and answer questions. There are two cafes at reasonable prices also the views are stunning. We stayed for a few hours.
Absolutely amazing place to visit. Especially when it's sunny and there is summer. The area is huge, for PS15 you can see the castle (make sure you go all around and see everything), walk around and see a beautiful garden, with a lot of exotic ponds and plants. As well as the views... Absolutely stunning! A lot of place to sit along the way, friendly stuff. Castle is definitely a must-see, very beautiful place. You have restrooms there, including accessible ones, canteen with some sandwiches, snacks and good-looking pastries; and some exhibitions inside the castle. Love the fact that they have all the signs in Welsh and English as well. There was no queue, no waiting, and we didn't need to get tickets in advance, all on place. Territory is very well-kept, clean, fresh air and good views. Railway museum was very very interesting too! Stuff was super helpful with everything, they are really passionate about their job. They helped us inside and on our way back to Bangor with transport. We were backpacking, and some sweet people gave us a lift to there, but we had to walk back to the station; make sure you check your way there and back in advance, as google maps showed us some private paths which weren't accessible. But the bus stop is pretty close to the castle itself, just 20-30 mins by walk and you're there.
Fantastic national trust property. Forever known by my children as "Penguin Castle". Lots for little ones to do, stunning house, beautiful gardens and breathtaking views. For those of us with mobility issues, they have a little golf buggy to take you up to the main house and back.
On-site services
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Good for kids
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We spent most of the day here, the whole story, history and site is incredible. Everything about it is big and over the top; a huge mock castle in grey stone, in enormous landscaped grounds, with endless views across the mountains and sea. On the walk up to the castle, info sculptures gently introduced you to the unimaginable wealth of the Pennant family who built it. They point out that everything in all directions belonged to them, and only two other people in Wales owned more land. The story gets worse as you learn that Jamaican plantation blood money paid for their slate quarry, which then returned colossal wealth during the industrial revolution. The exploitation, destruction and legacy are difficult to stomach. The castle is an obscene display of shameless wealth. While standing in the opulence of the gentleman's library with its overbearing archways and fireplaces, the only conclusion is that Lord Penrhyn was a disgusting and pretty tasteless human. Their desperate attempts to portray old money and royal links are cringe worthy. Walking round you'll be wincing at the huge tacky furniture and questionable art collection. These people were the premier league footballers of their day. We enjoyed the visit, which was made even better by the knowledgeable staff and honest portrayal of the sites history. It's a fantastic glimpse into one of many dirty periods of British elitism and the ultra rich.
This is an absolute % gem from views for photos and the history and gardens it as it all. Fantastic spent like a good 4-hour tour. Great food hall plenty of spaces . And out door spaces for picnics, plenty of choice. Great places for the children to play and roam freely with plenty of garden games to keep them happy
Stunning building with great grounds. Views from the castle are amazing. Some of the skills that have gone into building the castle are fantastic. The stairway carved from stone must have taken years! There's plenty of exploring to do in grounds also.
Stunning castle inside and out,with staff in each room to offer information and answer questions. There are two cafes at reasonable prices also the views are stunning. We stayed for a few hours.
Absolutely amazing place to visit. Especially when it's sunny and there is summer. The area is huge, for PS15 you can see the castle (make sure you go all around and see everything), walk around and see a beautiful garden, with a lot of exotic ponds and plants. As well as the views... Absolutely stunning! A lot of place to sit along the way, friendly stuff. Castle is definitely a must-see, very beautiful place. You have restrooms there, including accessible ones, canteen with some sandwiches, snacks and good-looking pastries; and some exhibitions inside the castle. Love the fact that they have all the signs in Welsh and English as well. There was no queue, no waiting, and we didn't need to get tickets in advance, all on place. Territory is very well-kept, clean, fresh air and good views. Railway museum was very very interesting too! Stuff was super helpful with everything, they are really passionate about their job. They helped us inside and on our way back to Bangor with transport. We were backpacking, and some sweet people gave us a lift to there, but we had to walk back to the station; make sure you check your way there and back in advance, as google maps showed us some private paths which weren't accessible. But the bus stop is pretty close to the castle itself, just 20-30 mins by walk and you're there.
Fantastic national trust property. Forever known by my children as "Penguin Castle". Lots for little ones to do, stunning house, beautiful gardens and breathtaking views. For those of us with mobility issues, they have a little golf buggy to take you up to the main house and back.
