Castell Coch

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Rubeum Castrum

In the community of Tongwynlais.
In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Cardiff, preserved county of South Glamorgan).

Late C19 fairytale-style castle built on medieval remains, designed for the third marquess of Bute by William Burges. Lavishly decorated and furnished in the Victorian Gothic style; a romantic vision of the Middle Ages. The original castle was a new build by Gilbert de Clare sometime between 1268 and 1289.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST13068263

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 93112

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 00595s

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=48
    http://www.castlewales.com/coch.html
    http://www.castlegate.net/castles/coch/index.htm
    http://www.greatcastlesofwales.co.uk/coch.htm
    http://www.worldwidewales.tv/index2.php
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/171/castellcoch.htm
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p91-2
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p49-50
    Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p46
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p162
    Brown, R.L., 1983, ‘Castell Coch before Burges and Bute’, in Brown, R.L. (ed), More about Ton (Tongwynlais: Tair Eglwys Press) p1–15
    Davis, Paul R., 1983, Castles of Glamorgan (Alun Books) p20
    Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p429-30 plates XIX, XXX
    Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p77
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval military architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 358-64
    Drane, c.1859, Castell Coch, a Gossiping Companion i-ii and plates [King writes 'rest worthless']
    King, Edward, 1799-1805, Munimenta antiqua or Observations on ancient castles (W.Bulmer and Co) Vol3 p126-30
• Journal Articles
  • Spurgeon, Jack, 1987, 'The Castles of Glamorgan' Chateau Gaillard Vol13 p215
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Girouard, 1962, Country Life, Vol131 p1092-5, 1174-7
    Renn, D.F., 1961, 'The round keeps of the Brecon region' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol110 p140
    Howell, 1951, Architectural Review Vol109 p39-46
    1913, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser6] Vol13 p128-31 and plates
    1901, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser6] Vol1 p64
    Clark, G.T., 1850, 'Castell Coch' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol1 p241-50
• Guidebooks
  • McLees, David, 1998, Castell Coch (CADW)
    Rousham, S., 1987 (Revised edn), Castell Coch (CADW)
    Rousham, S., 1985, Castell Coch (CADW)
    Floud, P., 1954, Castell Coch, Glamorgan (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol3 p18