Beaumaris Castle was the last of Edward I’s great castles in Wales, begun in the late 13th century by his master builder, James of St George. It was designed as the perfect fortress: rings of walls one inside the other, near-perfect symmetry and a water-filled moat.
Money ran out and trouble in Scotland took priority, so work stopped in the 1320s with the castle unfinished. You can still see where the south gatehouse was never completed. That’s why it’s known as “the greatest castle never built”.
Today it’s part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site. Walk the passages inside the walls, climb up to the wall walks for views across the Menai Strait to Snowdonia, and see the exhibition on how it was built.
Good to know
There are no toilets inside the castle, but free public toilets with accessible and baby-changing facilities are about 50m away. Some wall walks are closed off in the nesting season to protect the birds. The castle may close at short notice in extreme weather.
Where to go
Enter through the visitor centre on Castle Street (automatic doors from the pavement), then cross the moat by a wooden bridge. what3words ///plan.encloses.splash.
Opening times
1 Mar–30 Jun: Daily 9.30am–5pm; 1 Jul–31 Aug: Daily 9.30am–6pm; 1 Sep–31 Oct: Daily 9.30am–5pm; 1 Nov–28 Feb: Daily 10am–4pm; 24 Dec–26 Dec 2026: closed; 1 Jan 2027: closed
Prices
Adult £10.40 · Senior (65+) £9.30 · Junior (5–17) and students £7.20 · Family (2 adults + up to 3 children) £33.30 · Family (1 adult + up to 3 children) £22.90 · Under 5s free · Disabled visitor and companion free · Cadw members free · £1 tickets for Universal Credit recipients. Prices from 1 Sept 2026 to 31 March 2027. Pay on arrival, or book online to save 5% (online tickets are non-refundable). Blue Light Card holders and HM Armed Forces and veterans get 10% off individual admission (not online).
Parking
Main town car park directly opposite the castle (pay and display). Two accessible spaces on the roadside next to the castle, and accessible spaces in the town car parks about 200m away.
Public transport
Bus routes 53, 57 and 58 (Bangor–Beaumaris–Llandonna/Penmon) stop at Ena's, about 100m away. Nearest station: Bangor, about 9 miles.
Step-free access
Partly step-free
Access details
Rated Level 2 (easy) by Cadw, but the ground is uneven, with gravel paths, cobbles and stone steps with handrails. There’s a steep ramp at the visitor centre exit, and grass gets slippery when wet. The walk from the car parks is flat and even, and much of the castle can be seen from ground level. Corridors are reached by short, narrow staircases of around 10–15 steps, and the moat path is narrow and unfenced. Check with the castle before bringing a mobility scooter. A portable hearing loop is available.
Facilities
Exhibition · Gift shop · Picnic tables · Free Wi-Fi · Guidebooks · Dog bowl
Dog rules
Dogs on short leads are welcome on the ground floor.
