A view of the inside of Cardiff Castle. Images courtesy of the author
«Our discovery of Wales started in Cardiff, which is a treat to visit. One of the highlights of our trip was an after-hours tour of the enviable collection of the National Museum Wales, led by its eloquent Keeper of Art Andrew Renton, but in terms of sheer ostentation, Cardiff Castle is hard to beat.»
Although the first settlements at the site date back to the first century A.D., most of what stands today is a gloriously effusive Victorian fantasy bankrolled by the phenomenally wealthy Marquess of Bute, part of whose riches depended on the export of Welsh coal. Giving architect and designer William Burgess a free hand—and a blank check—resulted in a riotous blend of color, texture, sculpture, and whimsy.
Our group was able to enjoy the full effect of Cardiff Castle with privileged access to apartments normally closed to the public.
Under the expert and good-humored care of our official Welsh guide Amanda Whitehead, we experienced the marvelous castles, churches, stately homes, and gardens of this delightful country, and, alongside that, a taste of its folk art, in an unforgettable triple-harp performance by Robin Huw Bowen in a preserved eighteenth-century Unitarian chapel at Saint Fagan's National History Museum. We also took a look at the contemporary applied arts of the Makers' Guild in Wales at Cardiff's Craft in the Bay, where the textiles by Harriett Chapman and ceramics by Molly Curley proved particularly popular. A behind-the-scenes visit to the Welsh National Assembly, the Senedd, reminded us of the country's modern-day goals and assets.
In the evening, we enjoyed a taste of country-house living in the elegant Llangoed Hall, at the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park.