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Top 10 Surprising Facts about Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Castle is quite arguably the foundation on which the present city is based.

From ancient Roman fort to modern-day attraction, this castle is one of Wales鈥� leading heritage attractions and a site of international significance.

Its Romanesque walls and fairy tale towers conceal 2,000 years of history, with the original motte and bailey castle being built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders.

In this article, we have identified the top 10 surprising facts about Cardiff Castle;

1. Cardiff Castle replaced a Roman fort

Norman expeditionary ship depicted in the chronicle Le Canarien, 1490 – Wikipedia

Cardiff Castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roman fort. The reuse of Roman sites produced considerable savings in the manpower required to construct large earth fortifications.

Like many ancient cities and castles throughout the United Kingdom, Cardiff Castle can trace its origins to the Romans, who used it as a defensive location and built the first fort about 55 AD.

The fort was probably occupied at least until the end of the 4th century when the Roman border expanded, and the need for defenses became less important and the fort was replaced with a sequence of two, much smaller, fortifications on the north side of the current site.

2. Defending against pirates

Bartholomew Roberts, a Welsh pirate and the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy – Wikipedia

During the 3^rd century a fourth fort, the final Roman fort, was built in order to combat the pirate threat along the coast.

The fort was almost square in design, the irregular shape was determined by the River Taff that flowed along the west side of the walls. It was approximately 635 feet (194 m) by 603 feet (184 m) large, constructed from limestone brought by sea from Penarth.

It is believed that the fort remained occupied at least until the end of the 4th century, but it is unclear when it was finally abandoned.

This is the fort that forms the basis of the Roman remains seen on the castle site.

3. Who commissioned the construction of Cardiff Castle?

It is for certain that the current castle began as a work of the Normans when they came to conquer the Welsh following the invasion in 1066. However, the castle was commissioned either by William the Conqueror or by Robert Fitzhamon.

In one account, it is assumed that William the Conqueror may have built a castle at Cardiff as early as 1081 on his return from his pilgrimage to St Davids.

Alternatively, it is assumed that Robert Fitzhamon, the lord of Gloucester, invaded the region in 1090, and used the castle as a base for the occupation of the rest of southern Glamorgan over the next few years.

4. The worst job in the castle

Eighteenth-century flyer advertising the services of John Hunt, nightman and rubbish carter – Wikipedia

During Norman times, the toilets in a place like Cardiff Castle were positioned on the edge of the walls. The lords and ladies would retire to a toilet set into a cupboard in the wall, called a garderobe. The excrement would drop in a hole and into the castle moat.

 The ‘gong farmer’ collected the feces out of the moat during the night. They would then deposit the 鈥榥ight soil鈥� outside the city. The horror!

鈥楪ong farmers鈥� worked at night because their work was considered unclean and off-putting to the public.

5. Its role during World War II

During World War II, 1939 鈥� 1945, the castle played what will probably be the last defensive role in its long history. With the threat of aerial bombardment by the Nazi鈥檚 Luftwaffe hanging over the city, air raid shelters were created within tunnels in the Castle鈥檚 walls.

The extensive tunnels within the medieval walls were created in eight different sections that able to hold up to 1,800 people in total.

Research has revealed that there were also dormitories with bunks, kitchens, toilets and first-aid posts concealed within the walls.

6. Discovery of the century

Remnants of the Roman Fort – Wikipedia

John, 3rd Marquess of Bute, inherited the title and castle in 1848. The young Lord Bute engaged the architect William Burges to undertake the remodeling of the castle because John despised the existing castle, believing that it represented a mediocre, half-hearted example of the Gothic style.

In 1889, Lord Bute’s building works uncovered the remains of the old Roman fort for the first time since the 11th century, leading to archaeological investigations being carried out in 1890.

New walls in a Roman style were built by William Frame on the foundations of the originals, complete with a reconstructed Roman North Gate, and the outer medieval bank was stripped away around the new walls.

7. An extremely endearing philanthropic gesture

Aerial view of Cardiff Castle – Wikipedia

On September 10, 1947, the 5th Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, handed over the keys of Cardiff Castle to the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Alderman George Ferguson. The family flag was taken down from the castle as part of the official hand-over ceremony.

The castle, alongside its parkland, was presented to the people of Cardiff. Reports at the time commented that it was 鈥渘o longer Cardiff Castle, but Cardiff鈥檚 Castle鈥�.

The castle was protected as a grade I listed building and as a scheduled monument.

8. Who place the 鈥淏all in the Wall鈥�

Cardif Castle, Ball in the Wall – Wikimedia Commons

To promote England as the host of the 2015 World Rugby Cup, a giant foam rugby ball was installed into the exterior wall of the castle, looking like it had been kicked into (and partially demolished) the wall.

In total about 25 people worked on its design and installation, while the foam bricks that appeared to be bursting from the wall were made from a cast of actual bricks from Cardiff Castle.

The 鈥淏all in the Wall鈥� signified the love of the sport in Wales.

9. Various architectural styles

Clock Tower Smoking Room, Cardiff Castle – Wikipedia

Cardiff Castle is a unique blend of architectural styles. It may be mostly Norman in style, but also has Roman and Gothic-Victorian parts that were built in the 19^th century.

In 1866 the 3rd Marquess began a collaboration with the genius architect, William Burges that would transform the Castle. Within gothic towers he created lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained-glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings.

Each room has its own special theme, including Mediterranean gardens and Italian and Arabian decoration.

10. An exceptional keep

Interior of the keep – Wikipedia

The twelve-sided keep at Cardiff is known as a 鈥榮hell鈥� keep because its outer walls provided a shell for smaller buildings within.

It was built in 1150 to replace a wooden palisade crowning the motte. The shell keep is one of the finest surviving examples of its type in the United Kingdom.

Breathtaking panoramic views of the city can be seen from the top of the keep.