Castell Coch is famous for its spectacular interiors. I’ve decided to illustrate the stencils, murals and patterns that decorate Cardiff’s iconic Gothic Revival landmark. This tile can be found in the fireplace of the drawing room. This pattern is from the Castell Coch exhibit, which was designed by Glyn Parry-Jones. The exhibit was created in …
Cyfrinach Castell Coch is a children’s book written by Catrin Dafydd and illustrated by James Field.
“There is an old secret behind the walls of Castell Coch, and Chloe and Sam are under great pressure to ensure that the castle is not destroyed.”
Castell Coch was featured in Country Life magazine 60 years ago this month. Architectural writer Mark Girouard took readers on a tour of the famous Welsh landmark over two issues beginning on 10th May 1962. The magazine was founded in 1897 and celebrated its 125th anniversary earlier this month. Girouard went on to become an …
There are lots of postcards with aerial photos of the castle in my collection and this is one of my favourites. The company who produced the image have a huge collection of photos available to view on Amgueddfa Cymru’s website. Scaffolding has been erected on the curtain wall and it looks like roof tiles were …
This image of Castell Coch is from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. The photograph is mounted on card along with shots of a T.V.R. Converted Bristol Class locomotive and Barmouth Bridge under Cader Idris. The photographs aren’t dated unfortunately. After some quick research of Barmouth Bridge though, it turns out the drawbridge in the …
I was sorting through my collection recently and noticed quite a few pieces from the 1980s. Hopefully these items will bring back memories of school trips and visits during this decade.
The Glamorgan County Magazine published 13 issues between October 1948 and 1952. This poem by T. I. Jones appears in the first issue of Volume 2 in Autumn 1949. A photo of Castell Coch is on the cover. The title was printed by The Castle Printing Works in Water Street, Port Talbot. I couldn’t find …
Two of the favourite items in my collection are these illustrations of Castell Coch by Joseph Staniforth. They were printed in a supplement to “The Builders Journal and Architectural Record” on Wednesday, December 21 1898. Joseph Morewood Staniforth is known for his Welsh editorial cartoons. They were published in several newspapers including the News of …
This collection of postcards from the “Ministry of Works” and the “Ministry of Public Building and Works” were produced between 1940 and 1970. To find out more about the organisations that have cared for the castle, read my post about the official guidebooks. Further Reading
This tale of ghostly apparitions was first told by Cardiff chemist Robert Drane in 1858. The story was embellished and retold by Mr and Mrs Hall in their 1861 guide, “The Book Of South Wales The Wye And The Coast“. The Castell Coch Cavalier Many years ago, a lady of good family, but small income …
