Castell Coch Wales

Castell Coch Cardiff - Castle Coch Wales

Castell Coch (its Welsh name) and Castle Coch Wales are both commonly used. Castell Coch is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle located in Tongwynlais, a village just outside of Cardiff, Wales. The castle is a Grade I listed building. It was built on the site of a 13th-century castle by the 3rd Marquess of Bute, John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, in the late 1800s as a rural retreat for himself and his family. The castle was designed by William Burges, who was also responsible for the design of Cardiff Castle.

Castell Coch (Castle Coch Wales) overlooks the river Taff gorge and guards the gateway into the Rhondda Valleys and the city of Cardiff. It is a stunning castle and is recognised as one of the finest examples of 19th century architectural restoration in Europe. Visibly, it is in part a solid medieval masonry structure but also and in particularly inside the castle, it is high gothic masterpiece. We believe that it is well worth a visit if you are in the Cardiff area of Wales.

Castell Coch Wales - Castle Coch Wales — Castell Coch Cardiff, one of Cardiff's Castles - more All about Wales articles, **click here ...**

Castell Coch and William Burges

Normans

There have been some sorts of defensive structure on the site of Castell Coch from the eleventh century onwards following the Norman conquest of Cardiff. There were various skirmishes between local Welsh chiefs, the Normans and others but it is widely recorded that Castell Coch became a ruin in 1530.

Castell Coch Ruins 1530 to 1870's

Castell Coch remained a ruin until the 1870's. In 1865, William Burges (1827 - 1881) met the John Crichton-Stuart, the third Marquis of Bute. Burges was an English architect and designer. Burges's most notable works include Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch both of which were built for the Marquis of Bute.

The Marquis was a fabulously wealthy man. He subsequently engaged Burges to recreate a fabulous vision of the Middle Ages on the foundations of the medieval castle. Burges started work in 1875 and although he died in 1881 his work was carried on by his team of craftsmen and assistants. The result is a high gothic masterpiece rich in colourful decoration, furniture and fittings that parallels Burges' earlier work with the marquess at Cardiff Castle.

Castell Coch Today

It is now a Welsh Government monument under the guardianship of "Cadw" and it is open to the public.