Animal Wall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Animal Wall
Welsh: Wal yr Anifeiliaid
Type	Wall
Location	Cardiff, Wales
Built	1880-1930
Architect	William Burges
Owner	Cardiff City Council
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Animal Wall, and Gates near Clock Tower
Designated	2 December 1952
Reference no.	21696
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The Animal Wall (Welsh: Wal yr Anifeiliaid) is a special wall in Cardiff, Wales. It has 15 cool animal sculptures carved into it. You can find it in the Castle Quarter, right in the heart of the city.

This famous wall stands near the entrance to Cardiff Castle. It was moved there in the 1930s from its first spot. The idea for the wall came from William Burges, a famous architect. He worked for the third Marquess of Bute in the 1860s.

The first nine animal sculptures were made by Thomas Nicholls. He was Burges's favorite sculptor. Later, when the wall was moved, six more animals were added. These new sculptures were made by Alexander Carrick. The Animal Wall is a very important historical structure, known as a Grade I listed building.

History of the Animal Wall

How the Wall Began

The story of the Animal Wall starts with John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. He became a Marquess when he was just six months old. When he turned 21, he became very rich. He owned a lot of land in South Wales, including Cardiff Castle.

The Marquess wasn't happy with the castle at first. He wanted to make it better. In 1865, he met William Burges, a talented architect. They worked together to transform Cardiff Castle. They also worked on another castle nearby, Castell Coch. Many people think these buildings are some of Burges's best works.

Designing the Animals

William Burges designed the Animal Wall in 1866. But it wasn't built until 1890, after Burges had passed away. Burges had big plans for a special garden in front of the castle. He even wanted grape vines planted against the castle walls.

The wall on the street side was finished by 1885. But the animal carvings came a bit later, in the late 1880s. William Frame, Burges's assistant, helped with the work.

The First Animals

The first nine animals were carved by Thomas Nicholls. He was a very skilled sculptor. These original animals included a hyena, a wolf, two baboons, a seal, a bear, a lioness, a lynx, and two lions.

The Animal Wall in front of Cardiff Castle (c. 1890)

Moving and Adding More Animals

In 1922, the Animal Wall was moved about 50 meters (164 feet). This was because the roads in front of Cardiff Castle needed to be made wider. It moved from outside the castle to its current spot near Bute Park.

In 1931, six more sculptures were added to the wall. These new animals were a pelican, an ant-eater, two raccoons, a leopard, a beaver, and a vulture. They were carved by Alexander Carrick.

The animals even became famous in a cartoon strip! It was written by Dorothy Howard Rowlands in the 1930s. It appeared in the South Wales Echo newspaper.

Saving the Wall

In the 1970s, there was a plan to knock down the Animal Wall. This was to make the street even wider. But luckily, the idea was stopped, and the wall was saved!

The animals were originally painted in bright, natural colors. But the paint wore off over time. In 2010, the animals were restored as part of a big project for Bute Park. The anteater's nose, which had been missing, was replaced. Also, the original nine animals got their missing glass eyes back. The restoration finished in October 2010. The Animal Wall is still a very important Grade I listed structure today.

Gallery

Figures sculptured by Thomas Nicholls in 1891

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  Hyena
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  Wolf
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  Baboons
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  Seal
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  Bear
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  Lioness
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  Lynx
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  Lion (left)
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  Lion (right)

Figures sculptured by Alexander Carrick in 1931

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  Pelican
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  Ant-eater
  (Restored in 2011)
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  Racoons
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  Leopard
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  Beaver
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  Vulture

Images for kids

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  The Animal Wall in front of Cardiff Castle (c. 1890)