About
Sources & citations
In the interest of transparency, every primary and official source used across this site is listed here. Individual pages also credit the specific sources most relevant to their content.
Official & primary sources
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| Cadw (Welsh Government historic environment service) — official Castell Caernarfon visitor page | Ticket prices, opening times, facilities, accessibility guidance, directions, dog policy |
| Cadw — Castell Caernarfon Access Guide | Detailed accessibility information |
| UNESCO World Heritage Centre — "Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd" | World Heritage listing status and date (1986) |
| The National Archives (UK), official blog | 1969 investiture details |
| College of Arms | Ceremonial detail of the 1969 investiture |
| BBC Wales | 1969 investiture context and viewing figures |
Historical & reference sources
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| World History Encyclopedia (worldhistory.org) | Construction history, James of St George, chronology |
| History Hit | Construction narrative, 1294 revolt |
| History Points | Layout and tower detail, RWF Museum location |
| History Tools | Dimensions (acreage, wall perimeter), visitor numbers |
| Wikipedia — "Caernarfon Castle" and "Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales" | Cross-checking dates and figures against cited academic and news sources |
| People's Collection Wales | Historic photography archive reference |
Local business & travel sources
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| Wanderlog, North Wales Grub, Caernarfon.com, OpenTable | Well-established restaurants and pubs near the castle |
| Booking.com, Hotels.com, Trip.com, KAYAK | Well-established accommodation options near the castle |
| Traveline Cymru, National Cycle Network (Sustrans) | Public transport and cycle route information |
| Pexels — "Stunning view of Conwy Castle in Wales" (free Pexels licence) | Conwy Castle photograph on our Castles Near Caernarfon page |
| Herbert Ortner — "Caernarfon Castle 1994" via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) | Homepage photograph of the castle from the harbour |
Topic and page planning for this guide was informed by keyword and search-intent research (Serpstat), used to identify the questions real visitors search for most, so we could make sure this guide actually answers them.
A note on accuracy
We've made every reasonable effort to cross-check facts across multiple sources and to credit official information directly to Cadw. That said, we are not the official custodian of the castle, and details — especially prices, hours and facilities — can change without notice. Where accuracy matters most (booking a visit), always confirm directly with Cadw's official page.