About

FONMON CASTLE PARK, ESTATE GARDENS
Visitors to Fonmon Castle and Estate can experience a Dinosaur Experience, reconstructed Medieval Working Farm, Lost Victorian Gardens, Pirate Adventure, an interactive Story Telling Adventure, Fairy Village, Mad Hatter's Garden, Woodland Walks, Children’s Playgrounds, Themed Gardens and a host of On-Site costumed staff.

The castle sits on 350 acres and the current owners are committed to enhancing South Wales by providing an interactive, outdoor and fun environment. Visitors can interact in Welsh and English and all staff are keen to impart their wealth of local knowledge. Fonmon Castle welcomes research tours and educational groups at almost any time but these need to be arranged prior to the visit.

JURASSIC WALES DINOSAUR PARK

The Dinosaur Experience at Fonmon is an exciting way to get fitness, discovery and adventure all rolled into a prehistoric walk. Imaginations will run riot as you explore acres of woodland to discover dinosaurs in a natural setting. Hunt high and low - you never know where the next one may be hiding!

The collection of Dinosaurs are sourced from one of the leading dinosaur research centres and each creation is in line with current Dinosaur research and scientific theories. Your children will be amazed by just how impressive some of the prehistoric creatures are.

Inside the Dino Dome Experience Centre onsite actors bring the animatronic Dinosaurs located within this area to life in a fun and friendly way. 

Children can learn how to explore and discover within the Dinosaur Dig Pits. Each pit has a hidden fossilised Dinosaur beneath the sand.

HISTORY OF FONMON CASTLE

Fonmon Castle is set on a private estate in the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan and just 25 minutes from Cardiff and the M4, It was built by the St. John family in the early 12th century and has been a family home for over 800 years.

Fonmon Castle is one of the few medieval castles which is still lived in as a home. it was built by the St. John family in the early 12th century and has been a family home for over 800 years.

Although most of the present castle dates from the post-medieval period, the rectangular keep was built c.1200 and is still the core of the castle. In later centuries the castle was enlarged by adding wings to the medieval keep accompanied by stunning Georgian interiors.

Originally, the Castle was surrounded by outer defensive works that enclosed about 2.5 acres. As time passed and the need for defence faded, this enclosure was converted into the present flower gardens and fruit and vegetable growing areas.

Due to the steep ravine immediately to the East of the Castle, these spaces lie to the North, West and South of the main building. On the East, the Castle is backed by mature woodland mostly planted in the 19th or early 20th centuries.

Access to the interiors at all times cannot be guaranteed. However, at certain times of the year, the owners of this beautiful historic building allow visitors to wander and explore some of their highly decorative Georgian rooms.