Cardiff Castle

Situated bang in the centre of town – nice of them to build it so close to the railway station – the origins of Cardiff Castle go back to Roman times indeed you can actually inspect part of the original Roman wall when you enter. Inside the walls of the castle the site is dominated by the 11th century Norman Keep, unnoticed by many is the North Gate one of the finest Roman reconstructions anywhere in Europe. But the castle is most famous for its sumptuously decorated apartments where the guided tours take place.

From 1869 till 1900 the castle belonged to the Third Marquis of Bute one of the richest men in the world, due to all the coal being dug in his Welsh lands and exported through his docks. A very religious man, he had a great interest in the Middle Ages and he and his equally eccentric architect William Burges transformed Cardiff Castle from an ordinary country house into what he called a Camelot in Cardiff. This gothic fantasy took a team of the world’s greatest craftsmen about 25 years to complete and if you come to Cardiff is not to be missed

Tours run everyday between 2 and 6 times an hour to enquire phone:

• Click here for reviews of Cardiff Castle.
• Click here for the official site.