Work of William Burges at Cardiff Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cardiff Castle |
|
|---|---|
| Castle Quarter, Cardiff, Wales | |
"The symbol of a whole nation"
|
|
 Cardiff Castle
|
|
| Coordinates | 51°28′57″N 3°10′52″W / 51.4824°N 3.1811°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference ST179766 |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Cardiff Council |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | Late 11th century; current appearance the result of Victorian era renovations |
| In use | Tourist attraction |
|
Listed Building – Grade I
|
|
| Designated | 12 February 1952 |
Cardiff Castle is a famous castle in Cardiff, Wales. It's known for its amazing look, which comes from a big makeover in the Victorian era. From 1865 to 1881, a talented architect named William Burges worked on the castle. He was hired by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, who owned the castle.
Burges created some of the most important and beautiful Victorian rooms in Britain. The castle is now a popular place to visit and learn about history.
Contents
Cardiff Castle: A Long History
The story of Cardiff Castle goes way back to Roman times, around the 1st century A.D. People have lived on this spot ever since! In the Middle Ages, the castle was a very important fort. But by the 1700s, when it was owned by the Marquesses of Bute, it wasn't as important anymore.
The Castle in the 1700s
In the mid-1700s, there were plans to rebuild the castle. A famous designer named Robert Adam drew up ideas, but they were never built. Later, in 1776, Capability Brown and Henry Holland helped make the castle a grand home.
Brown changed the central area, filling in the moat around the old tower. Holland made the west side of the castle into "livable rooms." His changes were in a "tame Gothic style." Some people didn't like it, saying it had too many modern windows. Work stopped in 1794. By the time John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute inherited the castle, it was "a semi-reconstructed ruin." He felt it wasn't a good example of art.
Victorian Makeover: Burges and Bute's Vision
In 1865, the Marquess of Bute met William Burges. They both loved the medieval world. With Bute's money and Burges's amazing skills, they turned the castle into a "Gothic feudal extravaganza." This means it became a super fancy, medieval-style dream castle.
The new castle was set up like a large Victorian country house. The tall Clock Tower held rooms for a single man. The Guest Tower had rooms for visitors. The main building had the big reception rooms, the library, and the dining hall. The Herbert Tower had the famous Arab Room. The Beauchamp Tower had a small chapel. The Bute Tower held the family's bedrooms.
The inside of the castle is truly special. It also became a training ground for British artists and craftspeople. Burges oversaw everything, from stained glass to wood carving, tiling, metalwork, and painting. A whole generation of artists learned their skills here.
The Clock Tower
The Clock Tower was Burges's first big project at the castle. It was planned in 1866 and built from 1869 to 1873. It's about 150 feet tall! The tower has six or seven floors. It includes a gardener's room, a Winter smoking room, Bute's bedroom, and a Summer smoking room at the very top.
The rooms inside are incredibly fancy, with gold, carvings, and pictures. Many of these pictures tell stories about seasons, myths, and fables. The main theme of the tower's decoration is Time.
The Clock Tower was meant to be a beautiful sight at the entrance to the town. It stands out on the southwest side of the castle. The clock faces have carvings of planets by Thomas Nicholls. These statues were repainted and gilded (covered in gold) in a project that started in 2004.
Inside, the Winter smoking room has stained glass windows showing the Norse days of the week. Wall paintings show the seasons, and carved supports (corbels) show the times of day. Bute's bedroom is decorated with themes of mineral wealth, like a nod to how he got his money, and also astrology and alchemy. It even had an early private bathroom with a sunken bath made of Italian marble!
The Summer smoking room is at the very top. It's two stories high with a balcony. From here, you can see the Cardiff Docks, the Bristol Channel, and the countryside. It's described as one of the most amazing Victorian rooms. The floor has a map of the world made of mosaic tiles.
Many of the original furniture pieces from the castle were removed in 1947. Cardiff City Council is working to get them back. For example, a special tulip vase designed by Burges was bought by Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales in 2016. Burges designed four of these vases for the Summer smoking room. They are shaped like a famous old building.
The Guest Tower
The Guest Tower was built by Burges, replacing an older part of the castle. It has seven floors and a round staircase tower. The top floor is tall and open, like an old bishop's palace.
This tower has the castle's original kitchen at its base. Above that is the nursery, decorated with painted tiles showing Aesop's Fables and characters from children's stories. You can see Ali Baba, Robinson Crusoe, and even a blank space for "The Invisible Prince"! The Walnut room above has a fireplace carved with scenes from Jack and the Beanstalk. Much of this tower's decoration was finished after Burges died.
The Herbert Tower
The Herbert Tower has parts built by Henry Holland, but Burges added two more floors and the roof. This tower holds two of Burges's "finest miniature interiors": Bute's study and the Arab Room.
The Arab Room is one of Burges's greatest works. It's called "the most exotic in the castle." Its unique ceiling looks like jelly molds and is in a Moorish style. Burges got his ideas from studying Islamic art in Spain and Sicily. He designed every part of the room, including the stained glass, marble floor, gilded parrots, and wooden cabinets with silver. This was the last room he worked on before he got sick and died in 1881. After his death, Bute put Burges's initials and his own in the fireplace as a memorial.
Banqueting Hall, Library, and Grand Staircase
The middle part of the castle, called the Beauchamp range, shows Holland's work clearly. The towers you see from the courtyard are mostly his. This area has the library on the ground floor and the huge, two-story Banqueting Hall above it.
The Banqueting Hall has paintings on the walls showing scenes from the history of Glamorgan county. A giant fireplace has carvings of the castle in Norman times. You can see Robert, Earl of Gloucester, leaving the castle, with his wife waving goodbye. The imprisoned Robert of Normandy watches from a window. The hall's ceiling is inspired by old churches.
The library, located under the Banqueting Hall, is very large. It was designed to hold all the books and interests of the Marquess, who knew many languages. The fireplace has carved figures representing ancient alphabets (Greek, Assyrian, Hebrew, Egyptian). One figure is thought to be Bute himself, dressed as a Celtic monk.
The carvings in the library are quite funny and show Burges's thoughts on new ideas of his time. Four monkeys are shown around the Tree of Knowledge. One is stealing an apple, two are fighting over the Book of Truth, and one is puzzling over a book. This was Burges's playful comment on Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species.
The Beauchamp Tower
The Beauchamp Tower was built from 1876 to 1881. It has an octagonal (eight-sided) staircase that leads to a small chapel (oratory). This chapel remembers Bute's father. A marble bust (sculpture of a head and shoulders) says, "On this spot John Marquess of Bute fell asleep and woke in eternity 1848."
In the main tower is the Chaucer Room, designed as a sitting room for Lady Bute. It's a tall room decorated with scenes from The Canterbury Tales. Its beautifully carved ceiling is a great example of Burges's genius. Lady Bute was very involved in designing this room.
The Bute Tower
The Bute Tower's foundation stone was laid in 1873. It was originally Holland's work, but Burges built it taller. It holds the family's private apartments and ends with a lovely roof garden.
The drawing room inside is simple, as Bute wanted to hang his family portraits there. But the dining room is full of Burges's designs, showing the life of Abraham. Lord Bute's bedroom has many religious symbols, a mirrored ceiling, and a private bathroom. The windows in the bathroom are made of clear alabaster. Lady Bute's bedroom is simpler.
The roof garden at the top of the tower is inspired by southern Italy. It has a sunken courtyard and a sculpture of the Madonna and child. The murals (wall paintings) show scenes from Hebrew stories, as the Marquess was learning Hebrew at the time.
Castle Gardens and Animal Wall
Until the 1850s, Bute Park, which is next to the castle, was open to everyone. In 1858, Bute's mother gave Sophia Gardens to the city, and Bute Park became the castle's private gardens. In the 1870s, Bute started developing the gardens with his head gardener, Andrew Pettigrew.
Burges added three main things to the gardens: the Swiss Bridge, the first designs for the Animal Wall, and the stables. The Animal Wall was meant to be the fence along Castle Street, with fun animal sculptures. The Swiss Bridge allowed Bute to go directly from the Bute Tower into the park.
The bridge was finished, but Burges died in 1881 before the Animal Wall was more than a sketch. His assistant, William Frame, finished the idea, and Burges's sculptor, Thomas Nicholls, carved the animals. Both the wall and the bridge were moved later by Bute's son in the 1920s and 1930s. The Animal Wall is now at the end of Bute Park and has more sculptures. The Swiss Bridge was moved but later taken apart because it was damaged.
What People Think of Cardiff Castle
Many people have praised Burges's work inside Cardiff Castle. One historian said that his interiors are "rarely equalled" and are "outstanding monuments to nineteenth century gothic." Another writer called the main rooms "three dimensional passports to fairy kingdoms and realms of gold." He said that at Cardiff Castle, "we enter a land of dreams."
The outside of the castle has received different opinions. Some thought the towers were a mix of styles that didn't quite fit. But others disagreed, saying the castle's shape has become "the skyline of the capital of Wales." They believe that the dream of one great owner and one great architect has become "the symbol of a whole nation."
