Cardiff Castle and the Marquesses of Bute

Cardiff Castle is a major Roman, Norman and medieval survival, but what sets it apart is its extraordinary redevelopment during the 18th and 19th centuries, culminating in the fairytale gothic revival extravagances we see today. In this sumptuous illustrated study of the past 250 years of its history, the Castle’s curator celebrates this reinvention that was led by several generations of the wealthy Bute family. 18th-century building and landscape work by the renowned landscape designer ‘Capability’ Brown and the architect Henry Holland was followed by William Burges’ fantastical transformations in the 19th century, together creating what is now one of the most iconic and popular buildings in Wales.

Architectural historian Matthew Williams has been the Historian and Curator of Cardiff Castle since 1990.