Free entry for everyone; no membership card is needed.
The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.
Cadw names a public car park for 15 cars opposite the main entrance, with no dedicated disabled bay; it is the picnic site under trees by the River Tywi bridge, big enough for campervans according to visitors. No charge or free statement is published by Cadw or Carmarthenshire County Council, so the status is recorded as unknown; reviewers describe it as free. Cross the B4297, watching for fast traffic, to the entrance gate, then climb a series of steps, gravel and natural paths for up to 20 minutes to the castle. A QR code at the gate takes donations to Cadw.
Driving pin: the picnic-site car park, 155 m from Cadw's marker on the hilltop. Cadw publishes no postcode for the castle; satnavs may use the Google listing's SA32 8JQ, which falls about 400 m south. By road: the B4297 from the A40 or the B4300. By rail: Ffairfach, 9.5 km. National Cycle Network route 47 passes 5.6 km away, and the Tywi Valley Path between Carmarthen and Llandeilo passes below the castle.
Castell Dryslwyn, Dryslwyn Castle, is the fragmentary yet evocative remains of a castle laid low by conflict, crowning an isolated hill above the meanders of the River Tywi. A Welsh prince founded it in the second quarter of the 13th century, and it became an important seat of the kingdom of Deheubarth. In 1287 its lord Rhys ap Maredudd rose against the English crown; 11,000 troops besieged the castle for two weeks, brought down a large section of the walls, and the castle passed to the king. A walled town grew on the lower summit and was abandoned by the 17th century. Reviewers single out the 360-degree views over the valley, the information boards and the calm sheep everywhere; the climb from the car park across the road takes 15 to 20 minutes on steps. Dogs on short leads are welcome except when sheep are grazing, and the Tywi Valley Path passes below the castle.
Please keep dogs on short leads only. Occasionally (as noted on the gate) there will be times when dogs are not allowed to ensure the safety of grazing sheep in the castle grounds. We kindly ask visitors to be understanding and respect this condition.
Free entry
Open 10am to 4pm all year, last admission 30 minutes before closing; closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January. Cadw may close monuments at short notice in extreme weather.
Terrain level 4, strenuous: a steep climb from the lower car park on historic stone steps with handrails where provided, then uneven grass on the summit that is wet and muddy in poor weather; guardrails close the dangerous areas and there are hidden drops. Sheep graze the castle grounds, so do not approach them. No toilets or facilities. Drones are not permitted.
Dogs: Dogs on short leads only; occasionally, as posted on the gate, dogs are not allowed at all to protect the sheep grazing the castle grounds. The Tywi Valley Path below the castle admits dogs on leads under 2 m at all times under a Public Space Protection Order. Not seasonal: occasional unannounced exclusions when sheep graze, posted on the gate.
Photo: Dryslwyn Castle's ruined walls crowning its wooded hill above sheep-grazed meadows in the Tywi Valley. Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dryslwyn_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6889697.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
No reviews yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
Dogs, with restrictions
13 miles (21 km) between Carmarthen and Llandeilo on a former railway line, mainly 3 m wide and surfaced, for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility aids; the council names Dryslwyn Castle among its landmarks and lists parking at Dryslwyn Castle; reviewers say an access point is below the castle; no public access to the river. Free.
