I have several postcards that use the same image so I thought I would research an interesting series of cards posted between 1905 and 1910. All three postcards were produced by Blum & Degen, who produced millions of cards between 1895 and 1908. The first two postcards are later versions of the first “divided backs”, …
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 …
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.
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 …
It’s 150 years this month since Lord Bute instructed John McConnochie to excavate the site at Castell Coch. The results were investigated by William Burges, who was able to build on G. T. Clark’s 1850 report and present Bute with the option of either restoration or reconstruction. Burges submitted the “Castell Coch Report” to the …
The Book Of South Wales The Wye And The Coast is a collection of journal entries from Victorian writers, Mr and Mrs S C Hall, as they toured South Wales and the River Wye. The book was published in 1861 and I’ve found one source that claims the tour took place in the same year. …
There are 31 vineyards in Wales and 739 in England, according to WineGB’s 2020 report. In the late 19th century, however, wine was imported from Europe and there were no commercial vineyards in Britain. The Experiment Began This changed in 1873, when Lord Bute asked his head gardener, Mr Andrew Pettigrew, to plant a vineyard …
Historic buildings in Wales have been managed by various organisations over the years. This collection of official guidebooks were published by some of these bodies from 1957 to 1975. The original guide, published in 1954, was written by Peter Floud, C.B.E. (1911 – 1960), who was the Keeper of Circulation at the Victoria and Albert …
