£3.3M CASTLE REVAMP UNVEILED
INVESTMENT TO MAKE WORLD HERITAGE SITE ‘MORE ACCESSIBLE’
PLANS for the first phase of a state-of-the-art programme of improvements at Caernarfon Castle have been submitted.
CADW, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, has revealed plans to enhance the visitor experience at the World Heritage Site.
Under the first phase of the £3.3m scheme, a planning application has been submitted to Gwynedd Council for temporary buildings to be setup within the castle walls so Kings Gate can be cleared out before the main construction work starts.
The proposals for Kings Gate include providing, for the first time, level access to the upper embattlements, developing interactive experiences such as virtual reality.
The plans also include a glazed lift to gain access throughout King’s Gate leading to a new viewing deck at the top.
As a result, CADW plans to set up a temporary pop-up food and beverage facility on the hard-standing area outside of Eagle Tower, as well as a temporary custodian mess room.
During the course of the works, the current visitor entrance will be relocated to the Eagle Tower and will provide a temporary ticketing
entrance, visitor welcome and point of egress.
Announcing the £3.3m investment last year the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM said: “This project is focussed on enhancing this world class offer.
“We want to drive up visitor numbers for the monument and of course Caernarfon town by making it more accessible to a much wider audience.
“If we are genuinely to break down barriers, our sites need to be more accessible, relevant and enjoyable.
“We must continue work on maximising access for those with mobility difficulties.”
It’s expected a further application will be submitted for Scheduled Monument Consent in order to enable the full improvements in due course.