General view of Castle roof tops tower, at Castell Coch Cardiff Wales UK 117220_Castell Coch
Castell Coch (English: Red Castle) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is situated on a hillside near the village of Tongwynlais, in the north of Cardiff in Wales. Designed by William Burges, it is "the most spectacular example of (that architect's) translation from High Gothic into High Victorian." Castell Coch was built on the site of a 13th-century castle. The earlier fortification was constructed by the Welsh chieftain named Ifor Bach. In the late thirteenth century the castle site was claimed by the De Clare family because of its strategic importance, commanding both the plains area and the entrance to the Taff valley. The castle was rebuilt in stone and consisted of a keep, towers, an enclosed courtyard and a gatehouse. Although the early history of the castle is largely undocumented, it is generally accepted that it was severely damaged during a period of Welsh rebellion in the early fourteenth century. Thereafter, the castle fell into disuse and by Tudor times, the antiquary John Leland described it as "all in ruin no big thing but high". In 1871, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, ordered the site to be cleared of vegetation and debris while his architect, William Burges, drew up plans for a full reconstruction. Burges and the Marquess had been working for over three years on the rebuilding of Cardiff Castle; the aim at Castell Coch was to achieve another "dazzling architectural tour de force of the High Victorian era, a dream-like castle which combined sumptuous Gothic fantasy with timeless fairy tale." A set of drawings for the planned rebuilding exists, together with a full architectural justification by Burges. The castle reconstruction features three conical roofs to the towers that are historically questionable. Burges sought to defend their use with references to a body of doubtful historical evidence: "the truth is that he wanted them for their architectural effect."
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Castell Coch, Tongwynlais, Cardiff, Glamorgan Wales UK
Photo credit: © DV TRAVEL / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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