Cadw

What Cadw does

Cadw is the Welsh Government's historic environment division, operating as a statutory agency responsible for the conservation, management, and public access of Wales's built heritage. The organization oversees more than 100 historic sites across Wales, including castles, abbeys, Roman forts, prehistoric monuments, and industrial heritage locations, with six UNESCO World Heritage designations under its purview (the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd, Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, and The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales). Cadw operates under statutory authority conferred by the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023 and serves as the custodian of the Cof Cymru national database of designated historic assets.

Cadw's commercial offering is built around a direct-to-consumer heritage access model. Core revenue streams include individual site admission tickets, a subscription-based Cadw Membership from £2.00 per month granting access to all sites plus reciprocal benefits with English Heritage, Historic Scotland, and Manx National Heritage, and multi-day Explorer Passes (3-day passes from £28, 7-day passes from £42). Supporting streams include venue hire for weddings, filming, and corporate events; retail sales at site gift shops and an online shop; travel trade partnerships through the Cadw Tour Operator Scheme; and holiday cottage rentals at heritage properties. Education is a primary user segment, with free self-led visits for schools, universities, and home educators, complemented by curriculum-linked teaching resources.

The organization's technology footprint comprises a bilingual (Welsh/English) website, online booking and membership platforms, GovDelivery email communications, social media channels, and a Virtual Visits program offering interactive online tours across six heritage categories. Cadw also deploys a Cadw Cymru Minecraft educational product and publishes the annual Open Doors free-access program. Marketing is conducted through owned digital channels, events, public relations, and tourism partnerships. The organization is headquartered at Rhydycar Business Park in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and is wholly owned and funded by the Welsh Government with no private equity, venture capital, or independent ownership involvement.

Name

Cadw

Legal name

Cadw (Welsh Government's historic environment division)

Website

https://cadw.gov.wales

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cadw is the Welsh Government's historic environment division, managing 100+ historic sites across Wales including UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It generates revenue from site admission tickets, a £2/month membership, Explorer Passes, venue hire, retail, travel trade, and holiday accommodation, serving visitors, schools, and tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Site Management and Cultural Tourism Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

UNESCO & Protected Landmark Sites (THAJACAI), Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

Keywords

• Historic site management
• Heritage conservation services
• Cultural heritage tourism
• Monument visitor services
• Heritage education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Merthyr Tydfil

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Site Admission Tickets: Revenue from entry fees to staffed historic monuments and sites across Wales, including castles, abbeys, Roman forts, and prehistoric sites.
2. Cadw Membership: Subscription-based membership program offering unlimited access to over 100 historical sites for a monthly fee starting at £2.00, with additional benefits including discounts at gift shops and reciprocal access to English Heritage and Historic Scotland sites.
3. Explorer Passes: Multi-day passes (3-day and 7-day) providing access to multiple Cadw sites, sold as single adult, two adult, or family passes. The 3-day pass can be used in any 7-day period; the 7-day pass in any 14-day period.
4. Venue Hire: Commercial hire of historic venues for events, filming, photography, and weddings at various Cadw properties.
5. Retail Sales: Gift shop sales at staffed sites, plus online shop for guidebooks and publications.
6. Travel Trade: Trade rates for tour operators and group bookings through the Cadw Tour Operator Scheme, including discounted Explorer Passes.
7. Holiday Accommodation: Holiday cottages and apartments at Cadw properties including Beaufort Cottage, Crown Cottage, Harlech Apartments, and Tretower Court Cottage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cadw operates as the Welsh Government's historic environment division, managing over 100 historic sites across Wales including castles, abbeys, Roman forts, prehistoric monuments, and industrial heritage sites. Its core offering is paid visitor access via individual admission tickets, subscription-based Cadw Membership, and flexible multi-day Explorer Passes, supplemented by educational visits, venue hire, holiday accommodation at heritage properties, guided tours, virtual visits, and retail sales. The agency also maintains the Cof Cymru national database of historic assets and provides heritage guidance under the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023.

Product overview

Cadw is the Welsh Government's historic environment division managing over 100 historical sites across Wales. The core product portfolio centers on site admission and membership programs (Cadw Membership and Explorer Passes) providing access to castles, abbeys, Roman forts, prehistoric monuments, and industrial heritage sites. Supporting offerings include holiday accommodation at heritage properties, venue hire for events and filming, educational programs with free school visits and teaching resources, guided and virtual tours, retail shops, and an annual Open Doors free access event. Cadw also operates the Cof Cymru digital platform for historic asset records. The service is structured as a government heritage agency rather than a commercial product company, with offerings organized around visitor access, education, venue services, and online resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cadw Membership Subscription membership providing unlimited access to over 100 Cadw historic sites for £2.00/month, with benefits including 10% off gift shops, 50% off entry to English Heritage and Historic Scotland sites, free entry on renewal to English Heritage and Historic Scotland, free entry to Manx National Heritage properties, and a free membership pack including car sticker and full-colour map.
• Explorer Pass (3-Day and 7-Day) Flexible multi-day passes for visiting multiple Cadw sites. The 3-day pass is valid for any 3 days within a 7-day period, and the 7-day pass is valid for any 7 days within a 14-day period. Available as single adult, two adult, or family passes at prices ranging from £28.00 to £78.50.
• Individual Site Admission Tickets Single-entry tickets for individual Cadw historic sites and monuments, including castles, abbeys, Roman forts, prehistoric tombs, and industrial heritage sites throughout Wales. Some sites offer free entry while others charge admission.
• Cadw Holiday Accommodation Holiday cottage rental accommodation at Cadw heritage properties including Beaufort Cottage, Crown Cottage, Harlech Apartments, and Tretower Court Cottage, enabling extended-stay visits to Welsh heritage sites.
• Venue Hire Commercial and private venue hire services at Cadw properties for filming, photography, weddings, commercial events, exhibitions, and community gatherings at various historic sites.
• Educational Visits Free self-led educational visits to Cadw staffed sites for schools, universities, home educators, and qualifying youth groups, with supporting teaching resources and risk assessment templates.
• Guided Tours Ticketed guided tour experiences at specific sites, such as Bryn Celli Ddu Guided Tours, offering in-depth historical interpretation by knowledgeable guides in Welsh and English.
• Virtual Visits Online virtual tour experiences covering categories including Neolithic Tombs, Historic Homes, Industrial Hubs, Medieval Forts, Religious Relics, and Roman Remains, enabling remote exploration of Welsh heritage sites.
• Cof Cymru National Historic Assets of Wales online database providing searchable records of designated historic assets including scheduled monuments, listed buildings, registered historic parks and gardens, and historic environment records for each local authority area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unlimited access to over 100 historic sites from £2.00/month with membership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Casgliad y Werin Cymru – People's Collection WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with People's Collection Wales to document and share Wales's heritage and history, supporting community engagement with historic environment resources.
• English HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal partnership providing Cadw members with 50% off entry to English Heritage sites and free entry on membership renewal, plus reciprocal benefits for English Heritage members.
• Historic ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal arrangement providing Cadw members with 50% off entry to Historic Scotland (Historic Environment Scotland) sites and free entry on membership renewal.
• Manx National HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal partnership offering Cadw members FREE entry to Manx National Heritage properties on the Isle of Man.
• Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCadw partnerships with community organizations supporting local heritage initiatives and engagement with Welsh historic environment.
• Educational PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with educational institutions to provide curriculum-linked resources, teaching materials, and learning experiences at heritage sites.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Historic Environment Scotland: Scottish Government agency responsible for Scotland's historic environment, managing over 300 properties. Direct peer as a national government heritage agency with statutory mandate, reciprocal membership arrangement with Cadw, and similar mix of castles, abbeys, and prehistoric sites.
• National Trust: UK conservation charity managing historic houses, gardens, and ancient monuments with over 5 million members. Highly comparable in operating historic properties, running membership subscriptions, holiday accommodations, and educational programming.
• Heritage Malta: Malta's national agency for museums, conservation, and cultural heritage managing prehistoric sites including UNESCO World Heritage temples. Comparable as a small-state national heritage agency with museum and site operations.
• Office of Public Works (Ireland): Irish government agency managing over 780 heritage sites including castles, abbeys, and parks. Closest structural peer as a national government heritage agency with similar statutory remit and visitor services.
• Historic Royal Palaces: Independent charity managing unoccupied royal palaces including Tower of London and Hampton Court. Operates heritage visitor attractions with membership scheme, retail, and venue hire comparable to Cadw's commercial operations.
• English Heritage Trust: Independent charity managing over 400 historic sites across England, including Stonehenge and castles. Directly comparable as a heritage site operator with membership scheme, reciprocal arrangements with Cadw, and a similar portfolio of castles, abbeys, and historic monuments.
• Manx National Heritage: Isle of Man government-affiliated body operating historic sites and museums with reciprocal membership partnership with Cadw. Smaller-scale but highly comparable in mission and operating model as a national heritage agency.
• National Trust for Scotland: Scottish conservation charity managing historic houses, castles, and gardens with a membership model. Direct peer in the heritage tourism space with overlapping visitor demographics and product offerings (sites, holidays, memberships).
• National Museum Wales / Amgueddfa Cymru: Welsh Government-sponsored charity operating national museums across Wales including St Fagans National Museum of History. Sister organization within Welsh Government cultural portfolio with overlapping educational programming and Welsh-language services.

Broad incumbents

• Historic England: Public body that advises on and funds heritage conservation in England rather than operating paid visitor sites directly. Comparable as a statutory heritage body but with regulatory/advisory rather than commercial visitor operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cadwwales
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cadwwales
• Facebookfacebook.com/CadwWales
• Instagraminstagram.com/cadwcymruwales

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cadw