South Wales town becoming a ‘hot spot’ for young professionals and new businesses

Nation Cymru staff

Several years ago, a council in south Wales set their eyes on one goal: to make their town a better place to live, work, and visit. 

The Caerphilly Town 2035 placemaking plan is four years into the delivery of its ambitious project, working with community groups to root its plans in a people-centred approach. 

“We’ve been here for over a year now and the whole vibe of the town keeps getting better,” reflects Bethan Greenslade, a resident and co-owner of a local bakery based in Ffos Caerffili. 

Bethan and her partner Lewis Woodfall first visited Caerphilly in 2024, falling for the town’s warm atmosphere, friendly community, and its breathtaking castle. Once they moved in, their visit to Ffos Caerffili lit the spark for them to start their business.

Bethan opened Cwtch Bakes in Caerphilly’s modern market – one of the first projects from the placemaking plan – in early 2025. It quickly became a favourite among locals and visitors with her ten delicious flavours to rival our beloved traditional Welsh cake. A few months later, her partner Lewis joined to pursue his passion for baking. 

“We now serve Welsh cakes and a full lunch option,” he said. “And we are working with local businesses to get all our ingredients and to stock our wholesale range, so everything that we purchase is produced in Wales.” 

Reflecting on their first year in the modern market, Bethan said: “We have more tourists visiting us, especially in the summertime, because of how close we are to the castle which is great for business. Not just for us, but for everyone at Ffos.”

Lewis continued: “There’s a feeling of positivity around the town with everything that’s going on with the Caerphilly Town 2035 plans. People are taking notice and coming to see what Caerphilly is all about.”

As well as enticing Bethan and Lewis to the area, Caerphilly Castle is the town’s treasured centrepiece. Since the Castle was fully reopened to the public in July 2025, the castle has welcomed 114,850 visitors, according to official statistics from Cadw.

Furthermore, between April and end of July 2026, the castle has had 40,897 visitors, an 11% increase from the 36,562 visitors during the same period in 2018 – prior to the pandemic and the castle’s closure to the public due to the Great Hall undergoing an £8m refurbishment. 

Now decorated to reflect the grandeur of Gilbert de Clare’s original vision, the Great Hall transports visitors back to its heyday of the 1320s, with modern specs such as underfloor heating and a top-spec kitchen for events and weddings to create the best possible experience for visitors. 

Phase 1 of the conservation and refurbishment of Caerphilly Castle is a collaborative effort between Caerphilly Town 2035 and the Welsh Government’s historical monument programme, Cadw. Improvements to the castle’s accessibility include new ramps and pathways, upgrading on-site facilities like installing new toilets, and introducing state-of-the-art digital interactive exhibits. 

Gwilym Hughes, head and deputy director of Cadw said: “We are delighted that 12 months on from reopening the inner areas of the castle in July 2025 we have seen a real growth in visitor numbers which will have a positive economic impact on the town. We intend to build on this by adding further elements to the visitor offer and make the castle an even more attractive place to visit.”

Other projects from the placemaking plan include the recent regeneration of Dafydd Williams Park, which attracted Caerphilly’s own Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden to the area to unveil a sculpture in which she features, created by renowned artist Sebastien Boyesen. The old market on Pentrebane Street has also been demolished and earmarked for redevelopment as part of the plan. 

Caerphilly County Borough Council and investment are heading up the placemaking plan with support from several financial grants. It is an ambitious plan designed to make Caerphilly a better place to live, work and visit.  

Looking to the future, residents can expect more significant projects like the upcoming Hotel and Leisure Quarter, a bold £40m mixed-use hospitality, residential and retail complex which will face the castle.

Visitors and residents of Caerphilly are encouraged to have their say on the future of the placemaking plan. The next chapter of the town is shaped by those who live, work, and visit it, and you can do this by visiting the Caerphilly 2035 website: https://www.caerphillytown2035.co.uk/ 

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