Powis Castle and Gardens
High on a hill overlooking the town of Welshpool in Powys is Powis Castle.
This was once a medieval stronghold and has over 700 years of history. Now it’s a great place to take the kids.
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The Castle
Looking out onto the Courtyard
The castle buildings are only open at certain times of the year. On a recent visit, they had just opened up more of the castle, and so there's quite a bit of exploring.
There will often be a ‘hunt’ of some kind for the children to complete, so check with the staff when you enter.
When we visited, the kids had to spot 68 mice that were hiding (soft toys, not real ones!). They had to find eight special mice.
Powis Castle Welsh Dragon door knocker
There are many castles in Wales and the Marches. Mostly built by the English. This castle is proudly Welsh.
Get your kids to spot Welsh dragons. They are hidden all over the place. Some are obvious, like these fabulous door knockers, others are more subtle (hint: look at some of the rainwater pipes).
The Courtyard
Within the courtyard of the castle, you’ll find the shop and the Tea Room (which is always very popular).
On a sunny day, this is a great place to sit outside and have a drink.
Peacocks live here, and you may find them walking around the courtyard, as they often do.
The Gardens
Allow yourself plenty of time to visit the gardens, and take a picnic.
Our advice is to visit the castle first, then someone pops back to the car and get the picnic.
The gardens are built into the side of the steep hill that the castle sits on, and descends into a large flat area.
There’s a formal terrace that overlooks the gardens and has an old greenhouse built into the terrace. The terrace can be a real sunspot and an excellent place to have a picnic if the ground is wet.
You descend from the terrace through archways in giant hedges, and down to the lower garden. This is a great path for children (and grown-ups). It’s a real fairytale walk.
At the lower garden, you have many different areas: formal garden, fountain garden, a croquet lawn – there’s lots of exploring to do and many places to have a picnic and chill out in Summer.
During the Summer months, there’s also a coffee shop in the lower gardens, as well as toilets and baby changing facilities, so there’s no need to dash back up the hill in a hurry!
The gardens also include a small hill, which has walks and viewpoints. There are many paths through the woods here, which all lead back to a large pond, not too far from where you entered the gardens.
There are a few things to find in the gardens: a plunge pool, a giant stone foot, a pet cemetery, and an ice house.
We’re fortunate that Powis Castle and Gardens are local to us, so we’ve been here several times, seeing it in all seasons. It has always been a great place to visit.
The Parkland
Powis Castle and Gardens is set in a large parkland, some of which you drive through when you enter the grounds.
Not all of this is open to the public, but you can walk around the castle area and also down into the town of Welshpool.
Special Events: Christmas at Powis Castle
We visited Powis Castle before Christmas.
The castle had been traditionally decorated and was looking very festive.
Did you know that Father Christmas also visits Powis Castle?
Please check their website to find out when he’s able to see boys and girls in his busy diary before Christmas.
Facilities
Facilities Details
Please note that dogs are only allowed in the car park and courtyard at Powis castle.On The Map
Address
Powis Castle and GardensPowis Castle, Welshpool, Powys, Wales
Powys
Powys
SY21 8RF
Wales
Longitude: -3.161342
Latitude: 52.649862