Elis James says he has 'bought' a 900-year-old castle. Here he gives us his own unique guide to its history.

Elis James was actually really visiting Cardiff Castle, which he sadly doesn't own. It's one of the hundreds of National Lottery funded places in the UK that are offering either free entry or other exclusive offers to people who turn up with a National Lottery ticket from 23rd November to 1st December.

Considered to be Cardiff's historic heart, Cardiff Castle is a Grade I listed Scheduled Monument and is now one of the major visitor destinations in Wales. In 1998, the Castle was awarded more than £6.7 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for an extensive restoration project. It not only conserved the exteriors and interiors of the various buildings on the site - including Wales' most ornate architectural icon, the Cardiff Clock Tower - but it also created an interpretation centre that ensures the steadily growing number of visitors can be welcomed and managed.

Elis James says: "It was great fun exploring Cardiff Castle, which has been restored thanks to National Lottery funding. It's real shame that I wasn't given the keys to the castle, but it was fun pretending it was mine. I'm very happy to be supporting this project and the £10bn funding that National Lottery has given towards hundreds of other treasured and historic places across the UK."