Description of the attraction
Castel Koch means "red castle" in Welsh. It was built in the 19th century on the ruins of medieval fortifications. The 13th century castle was located on a hill in the present suburb of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Castel Koch, built by architect William Burgess, looks like a typical medieval castle as we imagine it - with powerful walls, round towers, a descending trellis and a drawbridge.
The first fortifications were built on this site by the Welsh chieftain Ivor Bach. At the end of the 13th century, the castle passed to the de Claire family. The castle was a strategically important site, because dominated the nearby plains and guarded the passage to the valley of the Taff River, so it was rebuilt in stone: the citadel, towers, walls and a gate tower. There are practically no documents about the early history of the castle, but historians agree that Kastel Koch was badly destroyed during the Welsh uprising at the beginning of the 14th century. Then the castle was not used, and it gradually turned into ruins.
In 1871, the Marquis of Bute ordered the clearing of weeds and stones from the castle grounds and gave the architect William Burgess to prepare a project for the restoration of the castle. Prior to that, the Marquis and Burgess spent three years rebuilding Cardiff Castle. Now they were faced with the task of creating another architectural masterpiece, striking in its magnificence, a castle-dream, which would combine the wealth and luxury of the Gothic with the magic of an ancient fairy tale. According to Burgess's design, the towers were supposed to have tapered roofs, which is highly questionable from the point of view of historical accuracy. Burgess referred to dubious sources for confirmation, but, most likely, this was done to make the building more picturesque and spectacular. Work began in August 1875. Three towers were built, almost identical at the base, but different in height. The interiors of the castle rooms argue for their decoration and luxury with the interiors of Cardiff Castle. The great hall, the sitting room, the lord's bedroom and the lady's bedroom are striking in their decoration. The fireplace by Thomas Nichols "Spinners of Fate" deserves special mention, which adorns the chateau living room.
The castle was almost never used for living - immediately after the end of construction, the marquis lost interest in it. But since the castle really looks very impressive, it is often filmed in historical and adventure films. In particular, scenes from the movie about Robin Hood were filmed here.
