Castles Comparision

The sprawling defences at Caerphilly Castle

In the previous sections on this site we have delved into four areas; medieval society, the medieval castle, Victorian society and the Victorian castle. this section will take a look at castles from the two periods and attempt to discover how authentic a Nineteenth Century castle reconstruction is. Is a Victorian castle a genuine reconstruction or a product of fantasy?

There is a vast array of Medieval castles with which to compare but sadly few from the nineteenth century. Castell Coch and Peckforton Castle are the only two comprehensive nineteenth century examples. We will concentrate on Castell Coch as this is the most authentic castle of the two and it will be compared largely with the thirteenth century medieval castle at Caerphilly, also in South Wales. Castle Coch was built on the ruins of a thirteenth century castle. The ruins were on the land of the third Marquise of Bute, an intellectual who took refuge in the past.

The Compact structure of Castell Coch

In 1865 when he was eighteen he met the man who could rebuild the past for him, William Burges. The Marquise did not need another castle and Burges did not need another job but together they created, either the past or their fantasies, in physical form. Castell Coch is a nineteenth century reconstruction that stands in a woodland with its pointed roofs peeping over the tops of the trees. The castle is a compact arrangement of thick heavy walls and squat towers topped by conical roofs. Castell Coch has the appearance of a European castle or for the more romantic, a fairytale castle with a picturesque skyline. Another castle with anything but a picturesque skyline is one that also stands in South Wales. Caerphilly Castle was built in the thirteenth century and has dark brooding walls and a heavy feel that has more in common with a Victorian prison.

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