Oystermouth Castle

About

Castell Ystumllwynarth sits on the hill above Oystermouth Square, and from the top of it the whole of Swansea Bay opens up. The first castle here was Norman, put up soon after 1106 and burned more than once by the Welsh of Deheubarth; what stands now is largely the de Braose family's stone rebuilding of the thirteenth century, when Oystermouth rather than Swansea became their main residence. Swansea Council runs it with the Friends of Oystermouth Castle. On the council's page for the 2025 season it opened daily from 5 April to 30 September and at weekends in October, 11:00 to 17:00 with last admission at 16:30; tickets were bought on arrival at £6 standard, £4 concessions, £18 for two adults and three children, under-fives free, and free guided tours ran at 11:30 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday through September. There is no parking at the castle: use the car parks at the bottom of the village or the Underhill car parks at the top of Newton Road.

Highlights

• ✓Views across the whole of Swansea Bay
• ✓Thirteenth-century stone castle of the de Braose lords of Gower
• ✓Free guided tours in season
• ✓Five minutes uphill from Oystermouth Square

Tips

• →Check the council's page for this year's dates before going: the 2025 pattern was daily April to September and weekends only in October.
• →Paths around the castle are surfaced but some are steep, and the interior has steps and uneven floors.
• →Walk up from the square rather than driving; there is no parking at the castle itself.

Best Season