Powis Castle and Garden
National Trust medieval castle above terraced gardens at Welshpool, home of the Clive Museum of South and East Asian art; castle rooms currently closed.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Powis Castle was built in the mid-thirteenth century by a Welsh prince, Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn, who wanted to be independent of the princes of Gwynedd. It was destroyed in 1274, rebuilt, and passed through the Charlton, Grey and Tiptoft families. In the 1530s Edward Grey began a major rebuilding that made it the most imposing noble residence in North and Central Wales. Sir Edward Herbert bought the castle and estate in 1587, and it remained with the Herbert family until 1952, when the 4th Earl of Powis left it to the National Trust.
In 1902 the 4th Earl began modernising the castle with electric light and central heating, and with the architect G. F. Bodley he restored seventeenth-century style decoration in several state rooms. The State Dining Room, Oak Drawing Room and Duke’s Room still show this work.
The Clive Museum holds more than 1,000 items from South and East Asia dating from about 1600 to the 1830s, the largest private collection of its kind in the UK. It was assembled by Robert Clive (known as Clive of India) and his son Edward, and includes ivories, textiles, statues of Hindu gods, ornamental silver and gold, weapons and ceremonial armour. Many objects came through the East India Company, some as spoils of war after the fall of Tīpū Sultān in 1799, and the display explains how these colonial histories remain visible today. The celebrated terraced garden surrounds the castle.
Highlights
- Clive Museum: more than 1,000 objects from South and East Asia
- Medieval castle with state rooms redecorated in seventeenth-century style (currently closed for conservation)
- Celebrated terraced garden below the castle
- Objects linked to Tīpū Sultān and the East India Company
- Courtyard Café, shop and second-hand bookshop
Permanent exhibitions
- Clive Museum – More than 1,000 objects from South and East Asia from about 1600 to the 1830s, assembled by the Clive family, including ivories, textiles, weapons and ceremonial armour.
- Castle state rooms – Richly decorated state rooms with seventeenth-century style interiors by G. F. Bodley; currently closed for conservation.
- Operated by
- National Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £13 |
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| Children & teens | £6.50free up to age 4 · Ages 5 to 17; under 5s free. |
| Groups | £17.10 per personAdult group price at the standard rate; groups should book in advance. |
| Families | £32.50Two adults and up to three children (off-peak price). |
| Castle and garden, adult (standard) | £18Applies when the castle rooms are open. |
| Castle and garden, child 5–17 (standard) | £9 |
| Castle and garden, family (standard) | £45Two adults and up to three children. |
| One adult with two or three children (off-peak) | £19.50Standard price £27. |
Off-peak prices apply while the castle is closed; the regular price shown is the garden and Clive Museum off-peak adult ticket. Prices exclude the optional Gift Aid donation, which adds about 10 per cent. National Trust members visit free. Car parking is free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is a step-free route around the garden, but it has steep slopes, uneven gravel, cobbles and unfenced terraces. There is no step-free access to the castle or the Clive Museum. Accessible toilets, a Blue Badge bay and drop-off point, an induction loop, seating, ramps and loan wheelchairs are listed. Assistance dogs are welcome all year.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
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| Family ticket | £32.50 · Two adults and up to three children (off-peak price). |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Baby changing facilities
Family events run in school holidays, for example a Calan Gaeaf (Welsh Halloween) programme with a pumpkin trail from 24 October to 1 November 2026, plus garden trails and activities inside the castle. Children must be supervised on the unfenced garden terraces.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Welshpool station
Alight at Welshpool station; the castle is a 1-mile walk from Park Lane off Broad Street, with access from High Street (A490). Buses from Oswestry to Welshpool and from Shrewsbury to Llanidloes stop on High Street.
By car
Free parking
Free car park at the castle. A pay and display car park on Berriew Street, run by Powys County Council, is an alternative if walking up through the estate.
- Accessible parking
Signed from the main road to Newtown (A483); enter by the first drive gate on the right. The postcode misleads satellite navigation, so search for “Powis Castle and Garden” or follow the brown oak-leaf signs.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Courtyard Café open daily; Garden Coffee Shop in the formal garden open April to September; a shop, a plant shop and a second-hand bookshop. Eight 11 kW electric vehicle charging points are in the main car park. Toilets are outside the garden entrance and in the formal garden, with baby changing facilities.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Booking is not required to visit the castle or exhibitions during opening hours. Dogs are welcome in the garden from 1 November to 28 February and on a trial basis from 6 June to 31 October 2026, on short leads and on the signposted route. |
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