A short history

A Roman fort appeared on the site soon after their arrival in Britain in the first century AD. This would be expanded in the 4th century AD to an 8 acre site, as Roman Britain began to be plagued by sea-faring marauders. Much of the Roman remains disappeared beneath an earthen motte as the Normans took posession of the castle in the latter part of the 11th century. The original wooden keep was replaced by a stone keep in the 12th century.

The castle expanded in the 13th and 14th as the De Calre family added a gatehouse complex to the keep and built a massive stone ward incorporating the Black Tower in the southern end. By the 16th century, now in the possession of the Herberts, it had become a lavish family home, before a gradual decline to an ivy covered ruin by the mid 18th century.

Its fortunes began to revive once it came into the possession of Lord Mountstuart in 1766, soon to become the 1st Marquess of Bute. Who, with the help of Capability Brown, began its redevelopment. His son the 2nd Marquess, became one of the richest men in the world; mainly due to the coal reserves on his Glamorgan estate, and his development of Cardiff Docks to exploit them. He died suddenly however, and it fell to his son, then only a child, to take over the reins.

With his immense wealth and the fanciful talents of his architect, William Burgess, John Patrick Crichton Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, created the Gothic splendour we see today. Not only a unique archtectural treasure but also a showpiece for some of the most important Victorian interiors in Britain.

For a summary of the recent conservation work carried out on the castle by Cardiff City Council click here

Archaeology

Wide-ranging archaelogical work was carried out by the Glamorgan & Gwent Archaeological Trust between 1974 and 1984 and recently more extensive work has continued, with visitors able to watch from specially constructed viewing areas. Recent finds have included include many different coins, including one Henry II coin, three pairs of bronze tweezers from the Roman period, and a small decorated knife with a wooden handle, which may date from the 17th century, plus some quite exotic 16th Century imported ceramics from Italy and Holland. From these various excavations we have been able to build up a general picture of the development of the site.

For a summary of the results of the archaeological work carried out click here.