Author: Grandpa

I love life.

Castell Coch 1

Castell Coch, South Wales

Fortress or folly?

You must weigh the evidence.

It’s still beautiful.

Castell Coch* (Red Castle) in Tongwynlais, near Cardiff, Wales, was taken over by the Marquis of Bute during the Victorian era and remodelled by William Burgess. Some have claimed it to be a folly, but the exhibition within the castle suggests that it was a Norman fortress before being remodelled into the fairy tale castle of today.

The misty look at the right hand side of the photograph is just that. If not mist, it is low cloud; it was raining quite heavily during our visit. The castle seems to attract such mistiness. As can be seen in the image, it stands on a hillside in a small forest. And yet the mist only adds to the nature of the place.

* Pronunciation tips for non-Welsh speakers:

  • The ll sound is made by forming an l, and blowing over the sides of the tongue.
  • The o is sounded long as in post, in this instance.
  • The best description I can give of the ch sound is that it is like clearing the throat!