ThingsToDoGateways and the medieval street plan / CAERNARFON
Caernarfon Town Walls
Caernarfon’s walls explain how the castle and planned town worked together. Follow their line at street level, look at the landward and water-facing gateways, and use the lanes inside to see how the medieval layout survives in a living Welsh town. The quay and Hole in the Wall Street give useful contrasting views without buying a castle ticket.
There is currently no access onto the town walls. Porth Mawr’s seasonal key arrangement is a separate visit, not permission to make an elevated circuit.
The practical details
- Where to find it
- Around the old town north of the castle, including Porth Mawr and Hole in the Wall Street.
Directions and arrival information ↗ - Tickets and booking
- Street-level views are free in daylight. For 2026, Cadw lists Porth Mawr key collection at Siop Lwsi, 4 Pepper Lane, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday 10am–3pm from 31 March through October. Confirm availability; do not make the tower essential to your day.
- Access and getting around
- View the walls from public streets. Pavement widths, crossings and uneven historic paving vary; choose a shorter section if necessary. No elevated wall access is available. Ask Cadw about the tower’s internal access before collecting a key.
Official access information ↗ - Visiting with children
- A short gateway-spotting walk fits between food and another visit. These are working streets with traffic and waterfront edges, so keep younger children alongside you rather than treating the route as an enclosed play space.
Practical information checked 14 September 2026. Confirm anything essential to your visit with the venue.
Make it part of your day
Allow 45–75 minutes for the visit, plus travel and breaks. This is a suggested planning allowance; opening times, access and availability may affect your plans.
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