Ernest Holmes

The Roman origins of Cardiff Castle were discovered in 1888 when the 3rd Marquess of Bute decided to build a new tower and extend the grounds. The Roman remains were discovered in what was considered to be a solid earth bank. Rather than continue with his original plans Lord Bute decided to investigate and and reconstruct the Roman Fort.

The Roman walls were reconstructed in what was thought at the time to be an accurate way, with one exception, the addition of a gallery with in them. this was built for two reasons: to allow access to the substantial lower level of Roman remains and so that Lord Bute could still take his daily exercise even in bad weather.

The Roman wall galleries found a new role during World War II, when they were used as air-raid shelters by shoppers and cinema-goers from busy nearby streets during enemy action, accommodating nearly 2000 people.*

* Information from The Essential Cardiff Castle guidebook

Paddington Bear

The clock tower, continental in inspiration is decorated with over life-sized statues of the planets. When it was completed in 1874 its unusual appearance  caused a sensation*

*Source – The Essential Cardiff Castle guidebook

The most recognisable feature at Cardiff Castle is surely the impressive twelve-sided Keep, the finest example in Wales. This type is known as a ‘shell’ keep because its outer walls provided a protective shell for smaller buildings within.

The stone Keep was built in the early 12th Century by Robert Consul, Earl of Gloucester, replacing the timber defences of Robert Fitzhamon, Norman Lord of Glamorgan. For eight years it was the prison of Duke Robert of Normandy, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, until his death in 1134 at the age of 80 years.

Additions made in the 13th and 14th Century included a gatehouse with a stone staircase leading to the stone bridge which replaced the timber drawbridge across the moat. The gatehouse was later removed during landscaping in the 18th Century.

After nearly 1000 years, the Keep still commands the inner area of the castle and is an impressive sight on entering the grounds.

The artificial motte (or mound) on which the keep is built is 10.67m (over 35ft) high with a summit 33m in diameter. From the top of the Keep the panoramic views of the city are breath-taking and to the north you can see as far as Castell Coch.

There are approximately 50 steep stone steps leading to the Keep entrance and further steps to reach the viewing platform, but it’s worth the effort!

The bed was so comfy that we both had a good night’s sleep and woke feeling refreshed. For breakfast, both cooked and continental options were available along with a few cooked-to-order items. I chose to sample the continental breakfast option. It had a nice selection of fruits, meats and cheeses but it was let down by the lack of crusty bread for accompaniment.

After breakfast we walked the short distance to Cardiff Castle where we booked the guided tour in addition to our entry ticket. The tour took us through rooms of the castle that are not accessible on a standard entry ticket. The rooms each had their stories to tell and it was fascinating to learn the history and narratives behind the decoration of the rooms.

One part of the tour involved a spiral staircase which I chose to miss. I am OK going upstairs but I am not so nifty walking downstairs, especially if the staircase is spiral. This gave me the opportunity for a personal guided tour of one of the rooms, the Arab Room. This room is accessible without a tour ticket but we had to bypass it as a group due to the small size of the room and potential damage to the flooring.

After the tour and before lunch, we walked the steep steps to the castle keep. I was glad I had done it but then I had to walk back down those same steep steps.

Next, it was time for lunch which we had in the Castle café. We both chose a traditional dish, ‘Welsh Rarebit’, which was delicious. Whilst using my phone to take a photograph I noticed a missed call from the care home where my mum is currently staying and a missed message from one of the nurses. It took me the rest of the afternoon to be able to contact him. Mum wants to go shopping and they wondered if it was OK for them to ‘try’ and take her as one of the care home activities.

But getting back to Cardiff Castle; after lunch we viewed the Roman wall and sculpture and the Line of Fire Museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Queen’s Dragoon Guards. We made our way to the wall walk and the WWII tunnels. We had walked the wall before our guided tour and now it was time to explore the tunnels which are beneath the castle walls and were used as a bomb shelter during WWII. The tunnels are impressive due to their length and size.

We left the castle in time for afternoon tea and a cake which we enjoyed in a coffee shop in the Castle Arcade. After relaxing with a naughty cake, we returned to the Rules of Play board game shop which had been shut when we passed it earlier. The shop is fabulous, and we were overwhelmed by the number of games in stock. So much so that we came away empty handed.

Back at the hotel we chilled out before dining in the Potted Pig which is located in a former bank vault. Lovely food but it couldn’t quite compete with the artistic tasty ravioli dish that I enjoyed the night before.

After dining Mr C was on a mission to find the perfect pub for a beer, this led us through quieter streets where several people approached us asking for money. Only one of them, a lady that approached me when Mr C had gone on ahead, did I believe to be homeless.

Mr C settled on The Duke of Wellington. The pub had a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere until some football supporters that had been watching the Wales V Belgium football match at the local stadium arrived for post-game drinks. Their presence livened up the place.