Staff get shock after hidden cupboard finally opened at Welsh castle

Nation.Cymru staff

Staff working at Castell Coch received a big surprise when they were able to finally open what has been described as a ‘hidden cupboard’ at the iconic fairytale castle.

The 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built above the village of Tongwynlais, on the outskirts of Cardiff has captivated visitors for many years – with people delighting in discovering its hidden charms.

Now, staff at the castle have made an unexpected discovery of their own after managing to finally open a cupboard which they say has been locked ‘for as long as any of us can remember’.

In a post on the castle’s Facebook were posted of the images and the contents that were found within.

Staff wrote: “We recently managed to open a hidden cupboard at Castell Coch that, for as long as any of us can remember, we haven’t been able to get into.

“Inside was a little time capsule – newspapers from the 1950s, some turps and bits and bobs we think were left behind by previous custodians who once lived and worked at the castle.

“We think many of these everyday items would have been used by custodians as they cleaned, maintained and cared for the castle and its interiors.

“A fascinating little glimpse into the people who have lived, worked and cared for Castell Coch through the decades.”

Conservation experts recently uncovered the original red paint colour for Castell Coch following detailed scientific analysis of paint samples dating back to the 1880s.

Cared for by Cadw, Castell Coch is one of Wales’s most popular castles, beloved for its magical “fairytale” appearance. Although it has origins as a medieval hunting lodge, the beautiful castle we see today is the vision of the well-known designer William Burges. Burges worked for the 3rd Marquess of Bute between 1875 – 1881 to create a masterpiece of Victorian fancy.

The distinctive red paintwork on the castle’s external timberwork – including windows, doors, shutters, fascias and gutters – has been central to Castell Coch’s identity. However, years of repainting had gradually transformed the colour into something quite different from the Victorian architect William Burges’s original vision.

Architectural paint researcher Lisa Oestreicher examined multiple samples from locations across the castle, identifying up to sixteen different phases of redecoration since the castle’s completion in 1881.

This research revealed the original paint finish was an orange shade of red – markedly different from the darker red that had evolved over subsequent decades of repainting.

A key reference sample was discovered under the handrail on the balcony adjacent to Lady Margaret’s Bedroom in the Kitchen Tower – a shaded location that helped preserve traces of the original scheme.

The new paint, named ‘Castell Coch Red 2025’, will be produced and used for all future external redecoration.

History

The original castle on the site of Castell Coch, which is located on a wooded hillside above the village of Tongwynlais, Cardiff, is thought to have been constructed in the late 11th century. It was built to defend Cardiff and control the land around the river Taff.

English nobleman Gilbert de Clare constructed a new castle between 1267 and 1277 to defend his lands. On Gilbert’s death, the castle passed to his widow Joan and around this time it was referred to as Castrum Rubeum, Latin for “the red castle”, probably after the colour of the red sandstone defences.

The fortress was likely destroyed during the Welsh rebellion of 1314, it was not rebuilt and the site was abandoned.

In the 1760s, the site passed to John Stuart, the 4th Earl of Bute (later the 1st Marquess of Bute), following his marriage to Lady Charlotte Windsor.

John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, inherited the castle in 1848. One of Britain’s wealthiest men, with interests in architecture and antiquarian studies, he employed the architect William Burges to rebuild the castle.

Burges died in 1881 after catching a severe chill during a site visit to the castle. His brother-in-law, the architect Richard Pullan, took over the commission and delegated most of the work to fellow architect William Frame, who directed the work on the interior until its completion in 1891

However, he made little use of his new retreat, and in 1950 his grandson, the 5th Marquess of Bute, placed it into the care of the state.

Since 1984, the property has been administered by Cadw, an agency of the Welsh Government.

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