Cardiff Castle features in BBC drama Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

Highly anticipated BBC drama ‘Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light’ features a star-studded cast including Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, Damian Lewis as King Henry VIII, and eagle-eyed viewers might also spot Cardiff’s historic castle.

Following the last four years of Thomas Cromwell’s life as he completes his journey from self-made man to feared and influential political fixer, the final instalment of this award-winning drama series has been years in the making and some of that time was spent filming in and around the castle’s Norman Keep.

Castle manager, Nicola Burrows, said: “We get lots of filming happening at the castle but this was probably the most high-profile there’s been recently.

“It was really exciting for us, and for our visitors, who loved being able to watch the drama unfold right in front of them. We’ve already spotted the castle in the series trailer, and we can’t wait to see the scene that was filmed here in full.”

A Cardiff Council spokesperson, added: “The creative sector is thriving in Cardiff and with 2,000 years of history built into its walls, Cardiff Castle is a prime location for film and television production companies.

“Beyond the interest and excitement being part of these productions generates, there’s a more serious side – the income generated helps fund the maintenance and protection of this irreplaceable heritage asset on behalf of the people of Cardiff.”

Episode 1 of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer description of the new series

Wolf Hall returns with the thrilling final instalment of Hilary Mantel’s magisterial trilogy, based on the life and death of Thomas Cromwell.

The Mirror and the Light opens in the heartbeat after Anne Boleyn’s death, as the young queen’s blood is sluiced from the scaffold and Thomas Cromwell picks his way across the wreckage to take up his position as principal councillor to an unpredictable king.

Despite his lowly beginnings in a Putney blacksmith’s forge, Cromwell has made a reputation for himself as one of England’s most formidable politicians. On the day of the queen’s death, he is at the height of his powers. He has found a bloody way for the king to escape his marriage, pinning Anne Boleyn and her circle to crimes they could never have imagined. He has delivered her to the Calais swordsman’s blade. He has smoothed the path for the king’s marriage to his third wife, Jane Seymour. And he has been rewarded well. Now both master secretary and lord privy seal, there are few parts of the state’s business that do not pass over his desk.

But in rising so high, Cromwell has also attracted powerful enemies…