A Roman fort was probably built around AD 55. The Normans built a motte-and-bailey castle in the late 11th century, dated either to about 1081 or 1091, and a stone shell keep followed in the 12th century. The motte is 40 feet (12 m) tall, the largest in Wales.
William Burges, commissioned by John Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, began a Gothic Revival remodeling in 1868 with the 132-foot (40 m) Clock Tower. A historian quoted in the article ranks the interiors among the most magnificent the Gothic Revival achieved. The Arab Room is dated 1881.
Roman-style walls and a North Gate were reconstructed from 1889. In the Second World War, tunnels in the medieval walls sheltered up to 1,800 people. The 5th Marquess of Bute gave the castle to the city in 1947. It is Grade I listed and open to the public. The article gives no prices or hours.
Comments