“Letters Describing a Tour Through Part of South Wales” was written by Armand-Louis-Bon Maudet, Comte de Penhouët (1764 – 1839) and published in 1797. The book is a collection of letters written to an anonymous lady and “sketches of every object that had attracted my attention.” The Breton aristocrat was in exile in Britain because …
Paul Sharp created a beautiful sketch of Castell Coch for a 1960s motoring guide to castles in the UK. I picked up a copy and discovered a fantastic collection of artwork by the Yorkshire designer. National Benzole was a petrol brand in the UK from 1919 until the 1990s. Perhaps these books were produced to …
Cardiff illustrator Sue Shields produced a series of illustrations that were featured on Cadw gifts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I purchased a beautiful plate recently and got in touch with Sue to find out how she got involved in this project. Tea Towel Sue sent me this image of a tea towel …
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.”
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 …
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 first instalment includes designs from the banqueting hall and Lord Bute’s bedroom. The detailed stencilling in the banqueting hall was completed by the interior decorators Campbell, Smith & Co. under …
Ian Phillips has been working as a print maker in Wales since 2001. His passion for relief printing was fired by a chance encounter with the work of Utagawa Hiroshige. Hiroshige was considered a master of ukiyo-e, the genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings, which were popular from the late 17th to late 19th …
70 acts performed over 5 stages in the amazing surroundings of Castell Coch on Friday night. Billed as a “Youth takeover of Cardiff’s fairytale castle”, Folli Fest was the first event of its kind to take place in the castle. I went along to experience this unique evening and was blown away by the talent on stage …
