Architectural secrets of Cardiff Castle to be protected

Manuscripts that contain Cardiff Castle’s architectural secrets will be protected through a new partnership.

The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust has partnered the Welsh Government to fund the protection of the manuscripts along with three other cultural organisations.

Architect and designer, William Burges, was responsible for the Castle’s redevelopment from 1868 and the respected designer recorded the process with over 2,000 drawings and paintings until his death in 1881.

Conservation of the collection means any future restorations can be carried out carefully and safeguard the capital’s most iconic landmark.

The Cardiff Castle collection is a recent deposit at Glamorgan Archives and the significant set of previously  hidden material will now be made available to academics and the general public.

Gwent Archives will also benefit from the partnership with the conservation of a collection of Risca North Colliery Pre-Shift Inspection Reports dating back to the 1920’s which cover a period of great change in the industry with strikes and many economic difficulties.

Rare piece of history

The Firing Line Museum will also take part in the partnership with the preservation of a rare piece of military history – The King’s Dragoon Guards Recruiting Instructions of 1787.

Sketches of pioneering businesswomen Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Dillwyn’s ceramic designs dating back to 1836 will also be conserved at Swansea Museum.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “This year’s projects will ensure greater access to Wales’ industrial and regimental past and ensure a greater understanding of the history of one of our Capital’s most iconic buildings, Cardiff Castle, for years to come.

“I am grateful to the NMCT Trustees for their continued support in preserving our rich archival heritage.”

The National Manuscripts Conservation Trust is the only UK grant-giver that focuses solely on the care and conservation of manuscripts in the UK and protects collections of national significance in Wales.

‘Astonishing drawings’

Prof David McKitterick, NMCT Chairman, said: “The NMCT was delighted to collaborate with Welsh Government to support the care and conservation of a range of material, including William Burges’s astonishing drawings for Cardiff Castle, designs for celebrated ceramics, an unusual glimpse of eighteenth-century army life and important records of the coal industry.

“These will now be available for public enjoyment and understanding of key parts of Wales’s history over many years to come.”