Caerphilly Castle: £5m makeover announced by Cadw

Caerphilly Castle is to receive a £5m "world-class" makeover.

Cadw said the work would include a "dramatic" transformation of the medieval Great Hall, a new visitor centre and shop refurbishment.

A new interpretation service and state-of-the art digital technology are also planned for the 13th Century monument.

Meanwhile, National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced a £1.5m grant for two projects - Flat Holm Island off Cardiff and a monument on Anglesey.

Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service, said the work at Caerphilly Castle would be carried out over three years.

Caerphilly Castle is Wales' largest and commonly cited to be the second largest castle in Britain after Windsor Castle.

Preliminary works at the 30-acre site will begin this month and include ground investigations - archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology will ensure no important archaeological remains are affected by the proposals.

Cadw said the new interpretation and "state-of-the art" digital technology would "bring to life its former glory".

In 2018, a dragons' lair was unveiled at the castle to mark its 750th anniversary.

Work to Napoleonic war hero column

Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey lost his leg at the battle of Waterloo

On Anglesey, work will be carried out to repair a monument to Napoleonic war hero Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, following a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.

The Anglesey Column Trust in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll is receiving £872,800 to repair and renovate the Marquess of Anglesey's Column and cottage.

A tree canopy viewing platform is planned for the monument

Erected in 1817, the 29m-high (95ft) Grade II monument celebrates the bravery of the marquess, who lost his leg at the battle of Waterloo.

The column will get its own shop, cafe and visitor centre

It was closed in 2014 for safety reasons but will now be restored and re-opened with a new tree canopy viewing platform, shop, cafe and visitor centre.

Island restoration

A separate £645,200 award from National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow Cardiff Council to restore key buildings and improve the habitat for nesting gulls and maritime plant life on Flat Holm island.

The roof of the foghorn station on Flat Holm will be repaired

The Flat Holm: A Walk Through Time guided tours will allow visitors to explore the island's military and maritime history, its natural heritage and the Severn estuary. Self-guided tours will also be available.

Other work will include making the island's old cholera hospital and laundry buildings stable, and repairing the roof of the foghorn station.

There are 77 protected species on the island and some of the money will be used to clear scrubland, allowing native wildlife and plants to flourish.

Flat Holm island is five miles off the coast of Cardiff

On the mainland, an art installation on Cardiff Bay Barrage will mark Guglielmo Marconi's first wireless transmission over water and there will be interpretation panels about the island at Penarth, Weston-Super-Mare and Brean Down.

Andrew White, director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, said the work would "restore and preserve for today's and future generations some of the very finest examples of Wales's heritage".

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