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Castell Coch

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If you’re looking for something to do while on a visit to Cardiff, then head up to Castell Coch to see what happens when a patron of unlimited wealth meets an architect of boundless imagination. Spend a day out in the castle and around the grounds, with fantastic paths to walk around and architecture to gaze upon.

Castell Coch, or the ‘Red Castle’, rises up from the ancient beech woods of Fforest Fawr like a vision from a fairy tale. Yet these great towers with their unmistakable conical roofs only hint at the splendour within.

Given free rein by the third Marquess of Bute, architect William Burges didn’t hold back. The highly decorated interiors and rich furnishings of Castell Coch make it a dazzling masterpiece of the High Victorian era.

But it’s no exotic folly. Underneath the mock-medieval trappings you can still trace the impressive remains of a 13th-century castle, once used as a hunting lodge by the ruthless Marcher lord Gilbert de Clare.

Castell Coch has been a plaything of the rich and powerful for over 700 years. Having lavished huge sums on it neither Gilbert de Clare nor the Marquess of Bute spent much time here.

But it remains a magnificent vision of an imaginary medieval world – regularly voted by the public as their favourite building in Wales.

Opening times vary throughout the year, so please check the website.

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Castell Coch

4.64223 reviews

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The Masked Turnip

2 weeks ago

Not really a castle, it's a wealthy (at the time one of the world's wealthiest) man's home. And is it amazing! They've done a great job preserving (and good to see that the preservation continues) the ornate decorations on the ceilings and walls. Loved the info boards with loads of history about the place and it's owners. There's clear signage indicating the route to walk, which was very helpful as it's a bit of a warren. Such an amazing place. Highly recommended.

Susie Winters

a month ago

Very cute, fairy castle with an interesting history and some fantastic decorated rooms and is worth a visit, definitely. If you want to learn about this place in detail, the staff were all informative and very helpful. Cafe is nice with attentive staff and a good selection of treats.

A Russo

2 months ago

Deceivingly small, the castle bears an aura akin to fairy tales due to its architecture as well as decor, with the surrounding woods helping further enhance the whole setting. After a visit here, it was hard to not have some sense of relaxation from being away from a city atmosphere.

Othoi Kushal Roy

5 months ago

It was very enjoyable and the audio guide was very helpful in understanding the history. Got a glimpse of how rich the rich were. The funny thing to me is they had a separate toilet with their bedrooms which I guess most UK houses in present also do not.

Rhiannon Williams

2 weeks ago

Great place to visit to see a castle as it might have been when lived in, the castle itself was great but even without summer levels of visitors there were issues with the spiral staircases where we were having to wait for large groups to go past - this isn't an issue just a word of caution if you want to whip round. Unfortunately the tower was under maintenance and we couldn't walk round the outside of the castle when we visited. The only benches that we could fine (although admittedly with an upset baby) were inside the courtyard. Some picnic benches would have been a welcome addition on the grass somewhere.