Cheeses of Caerphilly
A Welsh valleys town with a great castle that gave its name to a mild, crumbly cheese once taken down the mines.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: May to September; the Big Cheese is held in summer.
Caerphilly is a town north of Cardiff, dominated by one of the largest castles in Britain. Its cheese was made on farms in the area in the nineteenth century and sold at the town's market. It became a favourite of coal miners in the South Wales valleys, who took it down the pits in their lunch tins. A summer festival called the Big Cheese celebrates it.
Caerphilly cheese
Caerphilly is a young cow's milk cheese, white, moist and crumbly, with a fresh, lemony, slightly salty taste. It is made quickly and sold after a few weeks. Matured longer, it develops a softer layer under the rind. Much of its production moved to Somerset in the twentieth century, but Welsh farms have revived it in Wales.
The castle and the valleys
Caerphilly Castle, built in the thirteenth century, is ringed by great artificial lakes and has a famously leaning tower. The town was a busy market for the mining valleys. The Big Cheese festival brings cheese, music and historic re-enactments to the castle grounds in summer. Cardiff lies a short train ride to the south.
A trail idea for Caerphilly
- Caerphilly Castle The moated castle and its leaning tower.
- Town market Look for Caerphilly cheese from Welsh farms.
- Big Cheese festival A summer festival around the castle.
- Cardiff The Welsh capital, a short train ride away.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Caerphilly" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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