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	Specialist Shops: Antiques & Restoration Arts and Crafts Fashions Gifts Home and Garden Jewellery Food and Drink Shops

Caerphilly

Caerphilly Castle (CADW) completely dominates this town, which in medieval times was far more important than Cardiff, a few miles to the south. A ‘sleeping giant’ of a castle, the fortress sprawls over some 30 acres making it the largest castle in Wales. In the whole of Britain it is only exceeded in size by Windsor.

It is also one of the finest surviving examples of medieval military architecture in Europe. This great fortress was built largely in the late 13th century by the Norman Lord Gilbert de Clare. Along with the ‘wall within walls’ defence system, he also employed a mighty water defensive arrangement that included lakes and three artificial islands. The castle was restored in the 19th century by the Marquess of Bute, but nothing seems to be able to restore the castle’s famous leaning tower, 10 degrees out of true, which manages to out-lean even the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Perhaps the most impressive feature of the castle is its mightily impressive Great Hall; its most unusual is an intriguing display of full-size working replica siege engines.
The Visit Caerphilly Centre, as well as providing tourist information, has a shop selling quality locally-made Welsh crafts and a selection of Welsh food. The town is famous for its distinctive white crumbly cheese, which was first made in 1831, and originated in the farms surrounding the town. During World War II, and for a few years after, the making of the cheese was prohibited in favour of making Cheddar, which keeps much longer. Today, grocery departments and delicatessens all around the country stock this salty, pleasantly buttery cheese with a hint of citrus.

Caerphilly was the birthplace of the much-loved comedian Tommy Cooper (1921-1984), though he moved to Devon when he was a few months old. Recently, a bronze statue of Tommy Cooper was unveiled by Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins; it occupies a beautiful spot overlooking the castle.