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Cadw is an organization that protects Welsh monuments and buildings dating from the prehistoric to industrial Victorian eras. Its mission is to "protect, conserve, and promote 250,000 years of historic environment". It is an executive agency withing the National Assembly for Wales and was first created in 1984 as a sector of the then Welsh Office. The word "cadw" means to "keep" or "preserve" in Welsh. The symbol used in Cadw's emblem is Pembrokeshire's early Christian monument, the Carew Cross found near Carew Castle. Cadw currently presides over 126 ancient monuments, of which 30 are staffed and managed as tourist attractions. The organization has 230 staff members consisting of: architects, stonemasons, carpenters, field wardens, archaeologists, custodians, and other researchers and craftsmen. The 15 archaeologists are specialists in a number of fields including: coast lands, wet lands, industrial areas, and even underwater areas (like shipwrecks!). Architectural historians are also brought in to work on the sites and they specialize in varying fields such as: the post-WWII era, chapels, parks, and gardens. Cadw also works closely with other organizations to combine resources. Some of these organizations include: The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments, The National Trust, and various universities.

The Cadw estate has about 1.1 million visitors each year. There are also 20,000 people across Britain who are members of "Heritage in Wales", Cadw's membership scheme. It publishes a members' magazine on recent work three times per year. Cadw also offers many events on its sites to attract visitors and involve the community. These include events such as: open-air Shakespeare performances, battle re-enactments, and falconry displays. Cadw also raises money from tis many on site shops, bringing in about 1/3 of its total income. There is still much to be done by Cadw as The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act of 1990 requires the National Assembly to compile a list of buildings of special architectural and historical interest. There are now over 25,000 of such buildings listed in Wales.

Cadw has also made some of these sites known to the international community through its cooperation with filmmakers and TV crews. Cadw sites have hosted film and TV crews from the United States, Japan, and India. Perhaps the most famous film set on Cadw sites was "Restoration" starring Meg Ryan and Robert Downey Jr. Television shows include: "Terry and Gabby Show" (Channel 5), "Cash in the Attic" (BBC), and "Extreme Archaeology" (Channel 4). Bollywood has also taken a great interest in the sites and scenes can be seen in Narshima Enterprise's "It's Finally Happened - Love" and Fuel's "Shaadi Ka Laddoo" (featuring LLanthony Priory, Raglan Castle, Dalbadarn Castle, and Harlech Castle). The "South Bank Show"'s filming of Andrew Lloyd-Webber was at Castell Coch. Lloyd-Webber himself has reproduced Burges work at his own home. His ex-wife, Sarah Brightman, has used Castell Coch in one of her music videos.

In this project, I visited several Cadw sites including: Castell Coch, Caerphilly Castle, the Carew Cross, Harlech Castle, Beaumaris Castle, and Conwy Castle. IHere is a list of Other Cadw Castles.