Copyright 1997 Lise Hull

any of us dream about building or owning a castle, but few people have enough wealth or determination to follow that dream to a tangible conclusion. The third Marquis of Bute, however, was one of the fortunate ones, a man who had the vision and the financial resources to see his dream fulfilled. At Castell Coch in South Glamorgan, not too far northwest of Cardiff near the town of Tongwynlais, the Marquis used his fortune and his association with William Burges, one of the most creative and skilled architects of his time, to create what is indeed a fairy-tale come true.

urging out of the wooded hillside, the towers of this remarkable structure are startling as they sit so incongruously on the hillside above the busy M4 motorway. The stunning spires enchant us, evoking a sense of respect and nostalgia for the Middle Ages and an understanding of the passions which absorbed both Bute and Burges.

aving acquired the property as part of his inheritance, the third Marquis of Bute discovered the ruins of the medieval stone fortress in the late 19th century. The original castle was most likely erected by the Norman Lord of Glamorgan, Gilbert de Clare (Gilbert "the Red"), perhaps on the site of an even earlier motte, of which little remains. De Clare's intent was to build a castle strategically located to guard a critical communication route along the Taff River, which flows immediately beneath the site.

uring the 1260's, de Clare and other Marcher overlords were the targets of the rage of native princes of Wales, men like Gruffydd ap Rhys of Senghenydd who controlled the area around Cardiff. In an attempt to keep the rebellious Welsh at bay, Gilbert de Clare erected a series of mighty fortresses in South Wales, including Castell Coch (the "Red Castle" for its use of red sandstone building material) and nearby Caerphilly.

ilbert de Clare's Red Castle was essentially triangular, constructed with gently curving curtain walls connecting three angle towers. Apparently, building continued at the site until the 14th century (Reid, 1973), but sometime in the 15th century, Castell Coch was ravaged by fire and undermining, and rendered a useless pile of rubble, useless that is until it caught the attention of the Marquis of Bute some five hundred years later.

n the 19th century, the third Marquis and his architect discovered the castle's medieval foundations and the lowest level of one of the Norman towers. Indeed, there was enough masonry to provide a clear impression of the original castle's groundplan and some idea of how the towers were constructed. Burges based his creation on those foundations, stonework now found embedded in the base of the curtain wall and supporting the Kitchen Tower.

ith its three tall towers projecting upwards from the points where the Norman towers once rose, the 19th century castle remains basically true to Gilbert de Clare's design. Although the sturdy curtain wall now forms more of a circular design than triangular and the inner courtyard is reminiscent of the interior a shell keep, the overall product is a fine, valid reconstruction. How the two men embellished the structure is another matter altogether. Castell Coch's most distinctive decoration derives completely from the fantasies of its two imaginative recreators.

riginally hailing from the Isle of Bute in Scotland, the Bute family had courted the privileges of the upper class: the third Earl of Bute was Prime Minister during the reign of King George II; he and his son, and grandson, all married wealthy heiresses with access to vast estates throughout Britain; and John, the second Marquis of Bute, spent his time and fortune developing the small town of Cardiff into a prosperous seaport and city. John, Lord Bute, was directly responsible for making Cardiff the most important coalport in the world, and the richest. The second Marquis died in 1848, leaving his vast fortunes and rich estates in Wales, Scotland and England to his infant son, John Patrick Crichton Stuart, third Marquis of Bute and the richest individual in the world.

ell educated, the third Marquis developed a variety of interests and fascinations. He may rightly be considered a renaissance man, but at the same time an eccentric. His areas of expertise included history, archaeology, mysticism, philanthropy, heraldry, theology, and fluency in 21 languages. During his time at Oxford, Lord Bute became increasingly interested in medievalism and also met another like-minded individual: William Burges. His spiritual and emotional immersion in the Middle Ages led to John's controversial conversion to Roman Catholicism at the age of 21.

illiam Burges was the perfect choice for Bute's incursion into castle-building. Some 20 years older than the Marquis, William Burges shared the Lord's enthusiasm for medievalism and was an expert on medieval architecture. Burges even wore medieval attire at home! The first castle he recreated, Cardiff Castle, was also commissioned by the young Marquis of Bute in 1865.

n 1871, the third Marquis decided to restore the Red Castle. and called upon his good friend, William Burges, to survey the site and develop a plan for reconstructing the castle. The "Castell Coch Report" is a masterpiece of artwork in which Burges suggested the structure be re-erected as "a country residence for occasional occupation in the summer (Robinson: 1989)". Lord Bute accepted this proposal and work on the new castle was begun in 1875.

espite its gray color, Lord Bute ensured his surprisingly compact Red Castle remained true to its Norman origins. The modern structure is brightly lit with reddish-orange paint on the wooden trimmings and on the movable drawbridge that spans the dry moat. Inside the gate-passage are the vital defenses associated with any strong medieval castle: the portcullis and murder-holes. Bute's drawbridge and portcullis were equipped with a windlass, used for raising and lowering the two defensive structures.

aithfully following the design of the surviving portion of the Kitchen Tower, which he incorporated into the new castle, Burges reconstructed the Kitchen and Keep Towers with sturdy buttresses known as splayed plinths embedded at the tower bases. The splayed plinths supported the very heavy, nine foot thick stonework and also impeded successful enemy undermining. To give the towers a medieval personality, Burges also included arrowslits, putlog holes (marking the site of medieval scaffolding), and drainage holes.

ach of the reconstructed towers was tipped with fanciful cones covered with red roof-tiles styled after a medieval roof-tile found in the ruins. The dramatic red color harkens back to the castle's original name. The red tiles have since been replaced with greenish ones, less impressive but more durable than their precursors.

astell Coch's compact cobble-stoned courtyard is a mere 55 feet across. Thankfully, the reddish-orange trim brightens up what otherwise is remarkably drab. Around the inner bailey, Burges planted the castle's key buildings: the great hall, the kitchen, residential chambers, servants' quarters, and latrines.

nfortunately for Burges, he died in 1881, some ten years before the castle was completed. However, his untimely death did not interfere with the building project and concerted efforts were made to follow the architect's original design. So, what exists, as described below, was generated from the whimsy that filled Burges's imagination.

o the left of the gatehouse is a set of covered stairs which lead to the great Banqueting Hall, the first of Burges's "Castellan Rooms". This enormous chamber spans the entire length of the curtain between the Keep Tower and the Kitchen Tower on the level above the Servants' Quarters (where the original hall once stood). When compared to the other interior chambers, the Banqueting Hall seems somewhat mundane, but, in reality, it is every bit as inventive.

he Hall's marvelous ceiling was constructed of stencilled wooden panels and supported by two lengthy timbers. The uppermost portion of the walls (grim as they may seem) are painted with fine murals depicting the violent deaths of several Christian martyrs, and are highlighted by lovely painted arcading and portraits. The most impressive feature in the Hall is its ornate fireplace hood, crowned with a figure of St. Lucius, who perpetually watches over rather dull, utilitarian furniture.

t the western end of the Banqueting Hall rises the Kitchen Tower, the ruins of which once held three fine fireplaces. Hence, its reconstruction as the kitchen area. The room was eventually furnished with Victorian dining furniture, while the upper floors remain rather plain.

lengthy portion of the curtain spans the area between the Kitchen Tower and the Well Tower, which stands at the northernmost angle. The nine foot thick curtain wall clearly resembles its medieval prototype, with its wall-walk and battlements, its arrowslits and embrasures (openings in the wall which acted as windows or firing points), and drainage holes. Inside, we may view the starkest of Castell Coch's Victorian interiors and the still- intact medieval well.

s a dramatic and possibly authentic addition, Burges placed the castle's dungeon in this angle of the bailey. The prison is still reached by stepping downwards from the well-head. Ironically, the architect also intended to construct a chapel on the uppermost level above the dungeon, so that it projected into the courtyard just beneath the tower's conical turret. Burges's death interfered with the chapel's completion.

y far the most spectacular portion of Lord Bute's Castell Coch is the Keep Tower. Situated on the opposite end of the Banqueting Hall from the Kitchen Tower, this fascinating structure contains dazzling displays of romantic revivalism and the heights of creative Victorian fantasy. Colors defy description; ornamentation is extreme. The lowest levels of the Keep Tower contain the Drawing Room. This splendid room is an octagonal chamber crowned with an amazing two-storied, ribbed dome embellished with brilliant colors and bright gilded vaulting. Floral designs and a wide variety of birds, as well as an array of mice, lizards, monkeys, foxes, caterpillars, and butterflies, adorn the Drawing Room's walls and ceiling. Stars light up the painted skies of the dome and scenes from Aesop's Fables and Greek mythology dominate in bold relief. This exotic room is full of symbols of LIfe and Death, notions particularly meaningful to Lord Bute.

he uppermost story of the Keep Tower holds Lady Bute's Bedroom, another venture into the whimsical. Brilliant colors emboldened with gilt and mirrors light up the double-domed chamber, and, again, the walls are painted with various animals, including birds, monkeys and squirrels, as well as mythological beings. The elaborate arcading encircling the room harkens back to Moorish artwork.

he furniture in Lady Bute's Room is startlingly simplistic and obviously very uncomfortable. Apparently, Burges was so determined to keep true to the medieval character of his castle that he ignored his benefactor's comfort, focusing rather on what he believed was the style of the Middle Ages. No wonder Lady Bute spent little time at the castle! One creature comfort was considered, however: a small latrine (the garderobe) was placed into the thickness of the walling.

djoining the Keep Tower are the Windlass Room and Lord Bute's Bedroom, situated above the gatehouse like their medieval counterparts. Here at Castell Coch, Lord Bute had located his bedroom above the gatehouse, the spot where the medieval constable would also have lived. But, since Bute was not fond of the commotion created by the lowering and raising of the drawbridge, he ordered the windlass removed to the level below. Too bad the constable did not have the same option during the Middle Ages!

he Windlass Room contains the heavy mechanisms for moving both the drawbridge and the portcullis, as well as a fireplace supposedly for heating liquids or missiles to throw down upon an unsuspecting enemy. And, above, with its decorative wall stencilling, geometric designs and floor tiling, Lord Bute's Bedroom pales in comparison with the chambers in the Keep Tower. The most notable feature of his bedroom is the fireplace hood, which is simply decorated but has a nicely carved floral/faunal frieze around the chimney-piece. Like the pieces in the lady's bedchamber, the furniture in this bedroom is very functional and unpleasant, particularly the porcelain hip-bath. In all, the chamber is surprisingly austere for a man of such wealth and stature.

astell Coch was finally completed in 1891, leaving the third Marquis of Bute had only nine years to revel in the fruits of his efforts. Ironically, once the castle was finished, Lord Bute spent little time enjoying his grand fortalice. Stables, the chapel, and administrative offices were planned but never built. Lord Bute did attempt a small vineyard and wine-making on the grounds immediately outside the castle (supposedly in keeping with medieval practices!), and apparently produced wine good enough for use in religious ceremonies.

ohn Patrick Crichton Stuart, the third Marquis of Bute, died in 1900, leaving his enchanting castle to his descendants, who turned it over to the guardianship of the Department of the Environment. Castell Coch is now under the care and management of CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments, who open the wonderful structure to the public, for a fee, on a daily basis. This marvelous site is located on the A470 at Tongwynlais, about 5 miles NW of Cardiff.



Lise Hull owns and operates CASTLES UNLIMITED, a business dedicated to the promotion and study of British castles. She has a Masters Degree in Historic Preservation and has visited over 160 castles in Britain. She can be reached at 942 2nd Street NE, Bandon, OR 97411. E-mail: CASTLESU@aol.com.