This is something of an unusual article because it features a castle in North Wales that has not been used in a film to my knowledge but surely it should have been – it just lends itself perfectly to such a use.

Way back in the early Sixties, I was on holiday staying in Abergele and we visited this castle which has always stuck in my mind because of it’s stunning location. At that time it was open as a Castle to visit with a tour round parts of it, as I remember. I was impressed.

One thing that did stick with me is being told that it had been used by boxer Randolph Turpin when he trained for his famous fight against Sugar Ray Robinson in 1953.

When you look at the above picture, you can almost see it as Castle Dracula – just a perfect location, and I am so surprised, and have been over the years, that this has never been used.

I have now realised on looking further that there have been films that have used the Castle – Prince Valiant in 1997 and Holiday on The Buses in 1970. Although I know and like the 1954 version of Prince Valiant with Robert Wagner and James Mason, I was not aware of this later one at all.

‘Holiday on the Buses’, I do know and have watched it many times with my children when they were small – and I liked it too. I think a Holiday Camp at Prestatyn, nearby, was used.

We now learn though – and this news may have sparked my memory of this place – and hence this article – that the castle will be used as the location for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here – the TV show that attracts millions of viewers and is usually located in Queensland Australia, close to where my daughter lives. Due to Coronovirus, the show had to be re-planned and re-located and Grwych Castle has been chosen.

So although I am surprised that this has not been used more in films, it seems that fame will come to the Castle via a most unexpected turn of events – I have a feeling this will put the Castle ‘on the map’