Welsh Government hints at colour change for Castell Coch

Amelia Jones 

The Welsh Government has hinted that a colour change could be on the cards for Castell Coch, after a change in the originally-intended colour over its 135 year lifetime.

In a social media post this week, the Welsh Government said experts have recently discovered the castle’s famous red has slowly changed over time.

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.

In their social media post, the Welsh Government said: “For 135 years we thought we knew the colour of Castell Coch. We were wrong – experts have recently discovered that Castell Coch’s famous red has slowly changed over time.

“Now, thanks to Cadw, the castle is returning to its original shade: Castell Coch Red 2025”

The announcement has prompted reactions from a large number of people, with some thinking it is an early April Fools’ joke.

One commenter said: “Don’t be Fooled April is around the corner.”

Some also noticed the mistake they had made celebrating labelling the shade as: “Castle Coch’s Red 2025.”

You can read more about the colour change on the Welsh Government’s social media page.