Castell Coch - Wales.
N 51° 32.172 W 003° 15.245
30U E 482377 N 5709485
Castell Coch - A fairy-tale looking castle, built on the remains of a 13th Century medieval castle, restored from ruin in 1871, high on a hillside North of Cardiff, at Tongwynllais, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMPAT2
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/31/2015
Views: 5
Castell Coch (Red Castle) - Gothic, medieval revival style castle re-built in 1871 on the remains of a genuine 13th century fortification. It stands proudly on a steep hillside high above the village of Tongwynlais, overlooking Cardiff capitol of Wales to the South. Designed by William Burges, with an impressive fairy-tale appearance, complete with working portcullis & drawbridge. Inside it has stunning sumptuous interiors, & artworks.
"The castle was probably founded by a Welsh lord in c1240-65 and had a round tower keep at the SW corner of a tiny D-shaped courtyard with a hall on the south side, all built of rough rubble sandstone from which the building took the name Castell Coch, or "Red Castle." It stands upon a platform commanding the gorge of the Taff and was protected towards the higher ground by a deep dry moat from the bottom of which the walls rise with a very broadly battered base. The keep contained vaulted rooms, and probably had a fourth storey and a conical roof like it has now. The walls are over 3.3m thick above the square battered base from which it rises with pyramidal spurs." Text Source: (
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Castell Coch the beautiful fabled home of a very wealthy man.
"While resting on ancient foundations, Castell Coch (Red Castle) is relatively modern, the by-product of a vivid Victorian imagination, assisted by untold wealth. The Middle Ages fascinated the Victorians as much as the Victorians fascinate us today. High Gothic was the order of the day.
The ‘eccentric genius’ William Burges was given free rein by his paymaster, John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, to create a rural retreat to complement the opulence of his main residence, Cardiff Castle. He didn’t hold back. Dazzling ceilings, over-the-top furnishings and furniture were liberally applied." Text Source: (
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