Cardiff Castle
Historic Overview
Cardiff Castle (Castell Caerdydd) is located in the heart of the modern Welsh capital, Cardiff, on a site of continuous human occupation stretching back nearly 2,000 years. Archaeological evidence suggests intermittent prehistoric activity on the site, indicating its long-standing strategic importance. The castle’s origins can be traced to a Roman fort established around AD 55, strategically sited near the River Taff to secure Roman control of southern Wales. It was initially constructed of earth and timber, and later rebuilt in stone during the late 3rd century, some of which still survives today in the form of preserved Roman walls integrated into the medieval structure. In the early 5th century, following the collapse of Roman rule in Britain, the fort was abandoned and remained largely unoccupied until the Norman conquest. Around 1081, Robert FitzHamon, a Norman lord of William the Conqueror, established a motte-and-bailey castle on the site following his visit to Wales. This early medieval stronghold formed part of the Marcher Lordship system, where powerful lords exercised near-independent control along the Welsh border.
During the 12th - 13th centuries, the Normans replaced many of the timber structures with stone fortifications. Curtain walls and towers were added to strengthen the castle’s military defences. Cardiff became a key base for Norman control in South Wales and the administrative centre for the Lordship of Glamorgan. The castle and surrounding town were frequently threatened during Welsh uprisings, including those led by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and others seeking to reclaim native rule, representing one of the final efforts to unify Wales before the conquest of Edward I of England. In 1314, the powerful de Clare family who held the castle suffered a mighty blow when Gilbert de Clare was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn. The castle was passed onto several nobles, including the Despencers, Nevilles, and Beauchamps, many of whom contributed to its expansion. During this time, Cardiff Castle also developed as a lordly residence, not just a military fortress, with many domestic buildings and halls added within the inner bailey.
During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, the castle’s role was primarily administrative. In 1488, it was granted to Jasper Tudor, uncle of Henry VII, and became part of the growing influence of the Tudor dynasty in Wales. The region saw relative peace under the Tudors, and like many castles, Cardiff’s military role diminished. By the 16th - 17th centuries, Cardiff Castle had become more of a residence and symbol of status than a defensive stronghold. Although the structure was still maintained, parts of it fell into disrepair. During the English Civil War (1642–1651), Cardiff was held at different times by both Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, but the castle was never significantly damaged in the fighting.
By the mid-18th century, the castle and surrounding estates came into the hands of the Crichton-Stuart family, later the Marquesses of Bute, through marriage. In the mid-19th century, at the height of the Gothic Revival, the 3rd Marquess commissioned the renowned architect William Burges to transform the castle into a lavish residence. This transformation was funded by the immense wealth of the Bute family, derived largely from Cardiff’s coal-exporting docks during the Industrial Revolution. A series of elaborate Gothic interiors, including the Arab Room, the Library, the Banqueting Hall, and the Clock Tower apartments were added. These rooms are richly decorated with painted ceilings, gilded carvings, stained glass, and elaborate symbolic motifs drawn from mythology, religion, and astrology. Burges also restored much of the castle’s exterior, preserving the Norman keep and medieval walls while enhancing their sense of grandeur. He also designed the Animal Wall, later completed by William Frame, a decorative and symbolic addition that remains a distinctive feature of the castle. The castle remained a private residence of the Bute family into the early 20th century.
During World War II, the castle played a practical role once again. Sections of the outer walls were fitted with tunnels to serve as air-raid shelters for Cardiff citizens during German bombing raids. The shelters could accommodate 1,800 people, with bunks, kitchens, toilets, and first-aid posts. These shelters, carved into the medieval walls and disguised with camouflage, featured bunk seating, electric lighting, and communication lines. In December 1944, use as shelters ceased and the entrances were sealed. These tunnels were later reopened and adapted for public interpretation as part of the castle experience. By1947, the 5th Marquess of Bute, burdened by inheritance taxes and declining aristocratic wealth, gifted Cardiff Castle to the City of Cardiff. Since then, the castle has functioned as a public heritage site, tourist attraction, and civic venue.
Architectural Overview
Cardiff Castle occupies a strategically significant site on the northern bank of the River Taff, a location chosen initially by the Romans for its proximity to key transport routes and natural defences. The earliest architectural phase of the site began as a Roman auxiliary fort. In the late 3rd century, its timber structure was replaced with a more durable stone fort featuring thick walls and square corner towers. Sections of this Roman masonry was constructed using coursed local stone which still survives today. It is most visible on the north and west walls, having been incorporated into the medieval and later defensive structures. By the early 5th century, Roman occupation likely ceased and the site lay dormant for several centuries.
In the late 11th century, following the Norman conquest of Glamorgan, Robert FitzHamon constructed a classic motte-and-bailey castle on the site, making use of the elevated Roman platform. The motte was crowned by a timber keep, which remains a central feature of the castle today, and was likely reached by a timber bridge. The bailey to the south housed timber domestic and service buildings. Over time, the timber elements were gradually replaced with stone, reflecting the need for greater durability and defence. The new castle had a single entrance, reusing the site of the Roman south gate. Besides the repair and embanking of the Roman walls, the Norman work consisted of the digging of a ditch around the Roman perimeter.
By the late 13th century, the castle had acquired many key features of a substantial medieval fortress. The timber keep was replaced with a circular stone shell keep, with arrow loops and a crenelated parapet, providing panoramic views in case of attack. The motte was surrounded by a moat that was part of a wider water defence system fed by the River Taff. The inner and outer baileys were protected by stone curtain walls, which reused large sections of the Roman fort walls. These walls were reinforced with D-shaped and square towers, offering both living quarters and firing platforms. Notable surviving features include the Black Tower, a prominent defensive structure integrated into the Roman wall. The main entrance was secured by a gatehouse, likely dating to the 13th - 14th century, and features a portcullis, a drawbridge, and machicolations. Remnants of a barbican structure suggest an additional outer defence. Within the inner bailey, residential buildings accommodated the needs of the castle’s noble occupants. This included a great hall, kitchens, a chapel, and private chambers.
Throughout the 14th - 15th centuries, modifications continued. Towers along the curtain wall were fitted with fireplaces and larger Gothic windows, indicating a growing emphasis on comfort and status. Stone vaulting and mural staircases were introduced in certain towers, and at least one latrine chute survives from this period. These changes reflect the dual function of Cardiff Castle as both a military stronghold and an aristocratic residence. The outer ward, extending south of the main keep, served administrative and economic purposes, including stables, granaries, and workshops, supporting the daily operation of the estate. This area may have also included a garden or orchard, enclosed by defensive walls. The outer walls were likely crenelated and provided a patrol walkway accessed by internal staircases. The southern defences were especially robust, reflecting their exposure to potential land-based attacks.
After the Wars of the Roses and the decline of marcher lordship, the castle’s military importance diminished. During the Tudor and Stuart periods, the buildings fell into gradual disrepair. However, the site continued to be used, and parts of the structure were adapted for residential or administrative use, particularly under the ownership of the Herbert and Windsor families. In the 17th century, limited repairs were made. By the 18th century, much of the medieval structure was in ruin. A profound transformation occurred in the 19th century, when the castle was inherited by John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, one of the wealthiest men in Britain. In 1866, inspired by medievalism and the Gothic Revival, Bute commissioned architect William Burges to redesign Cardiff Castle as a neo-Gothic palace. Over the next two decades, Burges reimagined the castle’s interiors and some exteriors, fusing medieval forms with Victorian craftsmanship.
Burges restored the shell keep and built new towers, including the Clock Tower, which housed the Marquess’s private apartments. These rooms were among the most elaborately decorated interiors of the Victorian era. The Arab Room, with its gold-domed ceiling and intricate mosaic work, the Banqueting Hall, featuring mural cycles of mythology and the seasons, and the Library, with painted ceilings and carved woodwork, remain masterpieces of Gothic Revival design. The additions were structurally robust, often featuring vaulted ceilings, stone traceried windows, and custom-designed furniture. Externally, the medieval curtain wall was preserved but turrets, chimneys, and battlements were added in a stylised Gothic form. A gatehouse and new drawbridge were constructed to emphasise the castle’s grandeur. While the outer ward was landscaped into a pleasure garden, and a lodge was added for the estate manager.
Modern Legacy
Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’s best-known historic sites. Its history spans from prehistoric activity and the Roman fort to the Norman period, when it became a stronghold, and later to the Victorian Gothic Revival period. The castle reflects the development of Cardiff from a small settlement into the capital city of Wales. It combines historic fortifications with the Victorian buildings added later. During the Second World War, the castle’s tunnels were used as air-raid shelters. Some of the tunnels have been preserved and are now open to visitors, showing how the castle was used during the war. In 1947, John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute, gave the castle and its parkland to the City of Cardiff. This marked the change from a private estate to a public site. The castle is now managed by the local authority and is an important part of Cardiff’s heritage, tourism and cultural life.
Investigations in the 1980s and early 2000s confirmed the extent of the Roman fort beneath the existing structures, uncovering Roman barracks, drainage systems, and ceramic remains. In 1999, a watching brief recovered Roman Black Burnished and redware forms, and a single piece of Samian. Excavations also revealed layers of post-Roman and medieval occupation, including 12th - 14th century pottery, iron tools, animal bones, and remnants of hearths, indicating sustained domestic and service activity within the castle walls. Conservation work has focused on stabilising both the medieval masonry and the Victorian interiors, particularly the delicate painted ceilings and decorative stonework. Another fascinating discovery was made during a later excavation in 2005 - 06, whereby a series of Prehistoric earth-cut features and pottery were encountered, evidence of long occupation at the site.
Today, Cardiff Castle is a Scheduled Monument (MM050) and has held Grade I listed status (Cadw Ref. 13662) since 1952, in recognition of its exceptional architectural and historic interest. Several other structures within the castle complex, including the Clock Tower, the Animal Wall, and the Castle Apartments are also individually listed, reflecting their national importance. The site remains open to the public year-round and offers a full programme of interpretation and guided tours. While much of the interior was preserved during the 19th century refurbishment, sections of the grounds, including the Norman keep and the wartime tunnels, have been sensitively adapted for visitor access. The castle continues to host weddings, official ceremonies, and events linked to Cardiff’s role as the capital of Wales. It serves both as an educational resource and a venue for cultural celebrations, concerts, major sporting events, historical re-enactments, theatre productions, and royal visits. Cardiff Castle today stands not only as a relic of the past but as a living landmark, a physical embodiment of Wales’s historical complexity and a symbol of Cardiff’s resilience, identity, and civic pride.
Location
Castle Street,
Cardiff,
CF10 3RB
NGR ST1803076530
Selected Bibliography
Ward, J. (1901). ‘XIX.—Cardiff Castle: its Roman origin.’ Archaeologia, 57(2), pp. 335-352. Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Williams, M. (2008). The Essential Cardiff Castle. London: Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers. Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd
Williams, M. (2019). Cardiff Castle and the Marquesses of Bute. London: Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers.
Williams, M. (2007). William Burges, 1827-81. Andover, Hants: Jarrold (Pitkin Guide). Batsford Books
Newman, J. (1995). Glamorgan: The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin Books.
‘Cardiff Castle & Bute Park (CPG211)’. 2019. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW). Cardiff. cardiffnewsroom.co.uk
‘Architectural secrets of Cardiff Castle amongst collections being protected in Wales.’ 2022. Welsh Government. [online] Available at: https://media.service.gov.wales/news/architectural-secrets-of-cardiff-castle-amongst-collections-being-protected-in-wales [Accessed 5 Nov 2025]. gov.wales
‘The Normans • History • Cardiff Castle.’ n.d. Cardiff Castle website. [online] Available at: https://www.cardiffcastle.com/history/normans/ [Accessed 5 Nov 2025]. Cardiff Castle
‘Cardiff Castle – Normans keep – Mote and Bailey.’ n.d. Medieval Heritage. [online] Available at: https://medievalheritage.eu/en/main-page/heritage/wales/cardiff-castle/ [Accessed 5 Nov 2025]. Ancient and medieval architecture
Grant, J.P.D. (1923). Cardiff Castle: Its History and Architecture. Cardiff: William Lewis (Printers) Limited.
Cite this work
Harvard or APA Style
Dallimore, J. (2026 August 9). Cardiff Castle. The Archaeology Addict. Retrieved from https://thearchaeologyaddict.wixsite.com/thearchaeologyaddict/post/cardiff-castle
MLA Style
Dallimore, Jessica J. "Cardiff Castle" The Archaeology Addict. The Archaeology Addict. 9 Aug 2026. https://thearchaeologyaddict.wixsite.com/thearchaeologyaddict/post/cardiff-castle
Chicago Style
Dallimore, Jessica J. "Cardiff Castle" The Archaeology Addict. Last modified August 9, 2026. https://thearchaeologyaddict.wixsite.com/thearchaeologyaddict/post/cardiff-castle
Comments