At a glance
Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum (LL55 2AY) — regimental museum in the towers of Caernarfon Castle, included in castle admission (~£12.50 adult). 300+ years of history: Minden, Waterloo, Zulu War, WWI (Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon served in the regiment). Open castle hours year-round.
About the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum
Inside the towers of Caernarfon Castle — already among the most formidable fortresses in Europe — the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum adds three centuries of military history to one of the great medieval buildings of Wales. Raised in 1689, the Royal Welch Fusiliers served in almost every campaign the British Army fought: from Marlborough's wars across Europe to the American Revolution, from the Zulu War to the Somme. Their battle honours (stitched onto the regimental colours, some of the oldest surviving in the army) read as a history of Britain at war.
The museum is quiet and well-curated — medals, uniforms, weapons, and the personal effects of soldiers who served across centuries. In the First World War, two of the regiment's officers were Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves, and the weight of that conflict is present in the collection. This is a museum that rewards attention, and the setting — within the castle that Edward I built to assert English power over Wales — adds a particular irony to a collection celebrating Welsh military achievement in the service of the Crown.
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Frequently asked questions
The Royal Welch Fusiliers (RWF) is one of the oldest Welsh regiments in the British Army — raised in 1689 during the Glorious Revolution to support William III. The regiment served in every major British campaign for over 300 years: the War of the Spanish Succession (including Blenheim), the Jacobite rebellions, the American Revolutionary War (the regiment fought at Bunker Hill, Brandywine, and Yorktown), the Napoleonic Wars (including Waterloo), the Crimea, the Zulu War (1879), the Boer War, and both World Wars. In the First World War, the RWF became famous partly through its association with the poets Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon, both of whom served in the regiment. In 2006 the regiment amalgamated with the Royal Regiment of Wales to form the Royal Welsh, but the RWF's distinct traditions and identity are preserved in the museum.
One of the most distinctive traditions of the Royal Welch Fusiliers is the regimental goat — a live goat (a Kashmir goat, by tradition a gift from the Royal household) that served as the regimental mascot. The tradition has roots in the 18th century. The goat marches at the head of the regiment on parade, decorated with regimental insignia, and has its own rank (Lance Corporal). Several famous goat mascots are commemorated in the museum. The RWF's most celebrated battle honour — Minden (1759), where British infantry charged French cavalry and won — is the origin of the regiment's tradition of wearing rose petals in their bearskins on Minden Day. The museum explains these traditions in context, which can otherwise seem baffling to outsiders.
The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is housed in the towers of Caernarfon Castle — specifically in the Queen's Tower and adjacent spaces within the castle walls. It is accessed after purchasing castle admission (the museum is included in the Cadw castle ticket). The museum spreads across several rooms and floors within the tower, displaying uniforms, medals, colours (regimental battle flags), weapons, and personal items from campaigns spanning three centuries. The castle itself (a World Heritage Site) is of course a major attraction in its own right — visitors typically explore the castle walls, towers, and grounds (1–1.5 hours) before or after visiting the museum.
The museum collection highlights include: the regimental colours (battle flags carried into action, some dating to the 18th century, bearing campaign honours from across the world); Zulu War material including weapons, documents, and personal effects from the 1879 campaign; First World War items with connections to the soldier-poets Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon; an extensive medal collection covering decorations from the 18th century to the present; uniforms and equipment from different periods; and material relating to the regimental goat mascot tradition. The collection is well-curated and contextualised — it is not just a display of militaria but an account of what service in the regiment meant for the Welsh soldiers who made up its ranks.
No — the museum is located within the fabric of Caernarfon Castle and is only accessible to castle visitors. Castle admission (charged by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment service) includes access to the museum. There is no separate museum admission. Cadw members gain free castle entry and thus free museum access. The castle alone is one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in Europe and is a World Heritage Site, so the combination of castle and museum makes for a full and rewarding half-day. Caernarfon town itself — the walled medieval town, the quayside, and the nearby Welsh Highland Railway station — provides additional interest for a full day in the area.