Caernarfon Castle: First stage approved for £3m accessibility work

Artist impression of the temporary buildings inside the castle walls at Eagle Tower

Temporary buildings are to be installed inside Caernarfon Castle in the first stage of a £3m plan to improve access to the medieval monument.

Gwynedd councillors backed the plans to house food and drink facilities and staff quarters within the castle walls while King's Gate is cleared for work.

Planning officers said the units would not spoil the view from outside.

Visitors will enter via Eagle Tower while King's Gate is enhanced with a lift and virtual reality experiences.

Work at the castle, a World Heritage Site, is being promoted by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.

Caernarfon Castle was the location for Prince Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.

The proposals for King's Gate include providing, for the first time, level access to the upper embattlements, a lift to a new viewing deck at the top, and interactive experiences.

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Announcing the investment last year, Culture Minister Lord Elis-Thomas said the aim was to boost visitor numbers to the castle and Caernarfon by "enhancing this world class offer".

"If we are genuinely to break down barriers, our sites need to be more accessible, relevant and enjoyable," he said.

A further application for scheduled monument consent is expected to enable the full improvements to take place, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In 2012, Cadw was in dispute with Cardiff Council over the latter's four-year delay in removing a temporary ticket office from the outside of Cardiff Castle following improvements there.