 Cardiff castle apartments by Pod | Cardiff Castle tips and photos posted by real travelers and Cardiff locals.
Castle Street, Cardiff, CF10 2RB
• 216 Photos
• 82 Reviews
See all Cardiff Things To Do |
 | Cardiff Cardiff Castle Reviews | 1 - 10 of 82 |  |
Cardiff Castle is located in the heart of the city, next to Bute Park and close to the main shopping drag. It is enclosed by a tall wall, making entry into the grounds an exciting experience.
Buy your ticket at the street front shop/ticket office, deciding if you just want access to the grounds (£3.50 - Aug 06) or access to all areas, as part of a tour (£6.95 - Aug 06). Then you enter through the castle gate and you are in the large, grassy inner courtyard.
This lovely courtyard area is quite unique, with its green lawns, shady chairs and tables for picnics, and best of all, its resident peacocks!! The birds just wander about, posing for the occasional photo and calling out to their friends across the yard. There were some cute baby peacocks too.
The castle itself is made up of several sections - I particularly liked the cute Norman Keep, which sits on a little hill, and the interesting clock tower. Under the main house of the castle is a tea room which is housed in the oldest part of a castle. We didn't eat here, but it is well worth a look. There are also a couple of museums in the grounds (which you can visit without having the full priced ticket).
Oh, and they don't take the grounds tickets from you, so you can always wander in later the same day if you want a second look....not sure if you are actually supposed to, but we did ; ) Leave a Comment Phone: 029 2087 8100Directions: Next to the Civic Centre and Shopping ArcadesWebsite: http://www.cardiffcastle.com/ Other Contact: cardiffcastle@cardiff.gov.uk
|
 | |  |
Visiting Cardiff?
Read reviews about Cardiff Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
If you visit Cardiff for one day, then Cardiff Castle is a must. It is right in the heart of this busy city, so very easy to find! It was a home of the Marquises of Bute, who more or less ruled Cardiff throughout the second half of the C19th with the millions they earned from coal exports.
The 'new' wing (with its fantasy towers and turrets) was designed by architect William Burges for the Third Marquis. Building began in the 1860's. It shows the fashion for looking back to early European Gothic architecture (think of the British Houses of Parliament for example). The interiors are painted beautifully with illustrations of wildlife, plants, myths and legends. Rumours are that Burges designed with the help of Victorian 'recreational' drugs!!
To make your visit complete, the foundations of much of the 'new' Castle are built on Roman walls. From Castle Street you can clearly see the different wall materials. There is also a 12th century 'motte & bailey' fort in the heart of the Castle grounds. This was the original heart of the castle, with a great hall, where the lord retreated at times of war. In 1404 the famous Welsh prince Owain Glyndwr captured this castle!!
There are peacocks strutting their stuff in the grounds, an exotic dinner for the lord - my next door neighbour used to look after the castle's birds!
For entrance admission to the fantasy Castle with guided tour, is currently about 7.50 GBP (with reductions for students and the elderly). No photography allowed on the tour!
Only 3.75 GBP (2007) for entry to the grounds (great views from the fort). Leave a Comment Phone: +44 (0)29 20 878100Directions: In the heart of Cardiff, junction of North Road and Queen Street. Entrance on Castle Street/Duke Street.Website: http://www.cardiffcastle.com/
|
| | |
 Walls of Cardiff Castle by HORSCHECKLeave a Comment Directions: Cardiff Castle rises in the city centre of Cardiff at Castle Street. It can be reached on foot from the Central Railway Station in about 15 mins.Website: http://www.cardiffcastle.com/
|
Cardiff Castle was built on what was originally a Roman fort probably dating back to 50AD, remains of a Roman wall can still be seen today. The Castle passed through the hands of many noble families until in 1766 it was passed onto the Bute family, the 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into the Worlds greatest coal export port. The 3rd Marquess of Bute was reputed to be the richest man in the World at the time and was responsible for the lavish decorations which adorn the state rooms. Following the death of the 4th Marquess of Bute, the family decided to give the Castle and its' surrounding parkland to the City of Cardiff.
The state rooms are magnificent & not to be missed. There is also a new addition to the Castle - an interpretation centre which opened in June 2008, it offers a great start to your visit where you can take in an exhibition and film presentation or relax in the coffee shop after you've walked your socks off!!
If you walk past the Castle entrance towards Bute Park (away from the shopping centre) you can see a series of stone carved animals along the Castle walls. (see last two pics). These used to scare the life out of me when I was younger & on a day trip to the big City!!
|
| | |
 View of the main Castle
buildings by M0B1US
Also to the right of the entrance there is a flight of stairs leading down to a passage that follows the south wall clearly showing the wall excavated in 1889, on the other side of the passageway is an amazing mural at least 100' long created in 1983 that depicts Celtic life before, during and after the arrival of the Romans. The gate in the north wall is an accurate reconstruction of a typical roman gate in a fort.
After the Romans, the site was used by the Normans who built a Motte and Bailey style Keep in the middle of the Castle grounds.
Successive noble families made their mark by adding and destroying features of the castle and at one point Capability Brown was employed to landscape the grounds.
In 1766 the castle came into possession of the future Marquess of Bute and it was the 2nd Marquess (see general tips) that was responsible for the monumental building programme in conjunction with William Burgess to create the Victorian Gothic masterpiece that we see today...
You can either pay for access to the grounds or you can pay for a guided tour giving you access to the main building – which you would be foolish to miss as it delves into the history of the building and the fine artwork on display!
Living in Cardiff I was able to take advantage of the Cardiff Castle Pass scheme which, for £5, gives you access to the grounds for 5 years and half price off tours and special events.
Once you’ve conquered Cardiff Castle, why not check out Castell Coch next – you can see it from the Keep! :-) Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Visiting Cardiff?
Read reviews about Cardiff Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Although the history of the Cardiff castle dates back 2000 years ago to the Romans times, what you'll see inside is basically a 19th century transformation initiated by John Bute (apparently of The famous Bute family) and done by an architect William Burges. Within a gothic structure he created new interiors, each room with its own special theme from the Mediterranean to Arabic.
As castles are really not my thing I did not go inside, but the castle's location in the center of the city is definitely interesting and you can't miss it if you go for a stroll in Bute park as it dominates its southern part.
The website below has details about opening times and admission prices. Leave a Comment
|
 Norman Keep by Goner
The Norman Keep is perched up on a motte surrounded by a moat.This 12-sided Norman Keep sits off to the side of the Gothic looking Castle and was built around 1140, possibly in response to a Welsh uprising during the Norman conquest. If you climb to the top, you will see great views of Cardiff and the surrounding area. Leave a Comment
|
 Castle Interior by Goner
The nursery has tiles painted nursery rhymes and fairy tales. The Arab Room in the Herbert Tower has a ceiling of sandalwood, and is decorated with Welsh gold (the most expensive gold in the world). There are also painted and carved parrots due to Burges love of parrots. The upper rooms in this tower are closed; the guide said they were haunted, but doesn?t it make it more interesting?
The Banqueting Room dates from the 15th Century and is in the oldest part of the castle. The elaborate fireplace is themed after Robert the Consul, Earl and Lord of Gloucester, and son of William the Conqueror and some family power struggle. This room is now used for fancy banquets, wedding receptions, etc.
The bedroom has 189 mirrors in the ceiling (to increase the light from the candles used at the time) with a religious theme? With a wardrobe that looks like a confessional? The bed was small, but I guess everyone was shorter then.
The Summer Roof Garden has six Madonna statues, and one of only six smiling Madonna statues in the world. The wall tiles are of Elijah and Prophets of Baal from the books of Kings.
The Dining Room has a table with a hole in center, not sure what it was for.
The Library has five statues with tablets above the fireplace, each tablet done in a different alphabet: Greek, Babylonian, Aramaic, Egyptian, and Celtic. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Cardiff Castle by percy961Leave a Comment
|
 Cardiff Castle by GonerLeave a Comment
|
| | |
|
More Cardiff Travel Deals Cardiff Accommodation
Find Low Hotel Rates! Save Time & Compare Before You Book Online. Cardiff Hotels & B&Bs
Find your ideal hotel & book online Read guest reviews & save up to 70% Newark NJ Hotel
Brand New Facility & Shuttle Bus 11 Minutes from the Newark Airport! Sponsored Links
- The St David's Hotel & Spa Cardiff
Havannah Street, Cardiff - Royal Hotel Cardiff
10 St Mary Street Cardiff, Cardiff - Courtfield Hotel
101 Cathedral Road, Cardiff - Landmark Place
Landmark Place Churchill Way, Cardiff - Best Western St Mellons Hotel
Castleton, Cardiff - Holiday Inn Express Cardiff Bay
Schooner Way Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff - Express By Holiday Inn Cardiff Airport
Port Road, Cardiff - Lincoln House Hotel
118 Cathedral Road, Cardiff - Barcelo Cardiff Angel Hotel
Castle St (formerly Paramount), Cardiff - Novotel Cardiff Centre
Schooner Way Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff - Park Plaza Cardiff
Greyfriars Road, Cardiff - Future Inn Cardiff Bay
Hemingway Road, Cardiff - Marriott - Cardiff
Mill Lane, Cardiff - St Mellons Hotel Cardiff
Castleton, Cardiff - Ibis Cardiff Gate
Malthouse Ave Cardiff Gate Business Park, Pontprennau, Cardiff
|
