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Tongwynlais

Situated in the Taff Valley and hidden by trees, Castell Coch appears to be a fairytale castle of the Middle Ages, yet it dates from the 19th century. Built on the site of a 13th-century castle, Castell Coch was designed by the eccentric architect William Burges for the 3rd Marquess of Bute, as a companion piece to Cardiff Castle. As the Marquess was reputed to be the wealthiest man in the world - the family owned the thriving Cardiff docks - money was no object, and so this elaborate castle was constructed. While the medieval illusion of the place is maintained by the working portcullis and drawbridge, the interior decoration is perhaps even more astonishing. All perfectly preserved, each room is a masterpiece, with eye-catching details such as paintings of butterflies on the domed ceiling of the drawing room, scenes from Aesop’s Fables and Greek mythology on the walls, and bird and animal mouldings around the doors. The Marquess planted a vineyard in the castle grounds, which it is said, produced the only commercially made wine in Britain between 1875 and 1914. There are now more than a dozen commercial vineyards in Wales alone.