Castle’s beloved animal wall undergoing restoration

One of the Welsh capital’s much-loved landmarks is undergoing delicate restoration work.

Conservation specialists are recreating part of the Animal Wall’s iconic stone wolf nearly 140 years after the sculptures first appeared outside Cardiff Castle.

Added to the castle’s South Gate Entrance in the 1890s, the wall and animals were moved to their current position in the 1920s as Duke Street expanded.

The wolf is part of the original menagerie, which also includes lions holding the Crichton-Stuart and Stuart of Bute shields of arms, a lioness, hyena, sea-lion, ape with her young, and polar bear.

Each animal was approved by Lord Bute, with a seahorse and beaver rejected.

After the move to their new position, the polar bear was replaced by a bear, and a lynx, vulture, beaver, leopard, raccoon, ant-eater and pelican were added.

The first animals were carved by Nicholas of Lambeth between 1887 and 1889, and are distinguished from the later lot, sculpted by Alexander Carrick, as they have distinctive glass eyes.

In an update posted to Facebook, Cardiff Council revealed that they had received lots of interest in the work being undertaken to the wall.

“Our skilled conservation specialists are currently repairing the wolf, with detailed modelling underway to recreate its ear. A clay version has been shaped and temporarily fitted, ready to be replicated in stone,” they explained.

The wall, which was designed and brought to life by architects William Frame and William Burges, last underwent a £5.6m restoration in 2010.

Damaged stonework was repaired with funding provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cadw. Works also included forming a new nose for the anteater, and a celebration of the repair was attended by the granddaughter of the animal’s original sculptor.

Jenny Cronin, grandchild of Enoch Palmer who worked on the anteater in the 1920s, said the wall was “an iconic feature of our city. We travel abroad to visit places so I imagine this draws a lot of tourists from abroad.

“Now when my grandchildren come to Cardiff I always show them the animal wall. I’m so very very proud. I only wish [Palmer] was here today to see the anteater restored.”

As part of this project, a section of the wall was also lowered to provide better views of Bute Park and the Castle from Castle Street.

To find out more about the Cardiff Castle Animal Wall, visit the Bute Park site here.