John Hassell was an English watercolour landscape painter, engraver, illustrator, writer and publisher. “The Beauties of Antiquity Or Remnants of Feudal Splendour and Monastic Times” was published in 1806 and contains a fantastic illustration of Castell Coch. There’s a short description of the castle and some of its history. The magnificence of its front is …
I’m really pleased to share the art of Gary Yeung after he recently posted a fantastic illustration of Castell Coch for the popular #inktober2023 drawing challenge. I’ve been following him online for a while and got in touch when I realised he’s produced quite a few pieces featuring the castle. I asked Gary to tell …
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.”
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.
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 …
If you’ve visited Castell Coch in recent years, you’ll have seen the fantastic exhibit that tells the story of this wonderful building. We spoke to Glyn Parry-Jones, who designed and installed it. It’s hard to believe that the exhibit is nearly 30 years old! Glyn explained that the exhibit was created in 1987 and that it …
