Castell Coch

The next castle on my list was Castell Coch. I chose this one next because I fell in love with the Welsh countryside which I saw in my previous visit to Caerphilly Castle. Since this castle was also on the outskirts of the city, I decided to explore this next.

I took the bus to the castle which was on the same route as Caerphilly which gave me beautiful landscape view of Cardiff suburbs on the way. The castle is at a hill top. So the bus dropped me to the nearest stop and I walked about 10 mins uphill to reach the castle entrance. crossing the golf course entrance, I reached castle Coch and admired its beauty from outside.

As usual, the castle had a security ditch around all around it and the heavy wooden chain doors served as a bridge to the castle when opened. From the inside, the castle is not very large. But the rooms and halls of the castle breath grandeur. You get a glimpse in the daily lives of the Bute and his family. I realized that most of the facilities like hot shower and bathtubs which are normal utility for us, was once a luxury affordable only by the most elite.

Since it was small castle, I quickly completed the tour and came back out. Outside the castle, there was a small path heading into the wild. Out of curiosity I wondered onto it and found a small clearing some 50 paces inside where children were playing and picnicking. I finally returned and decided to take the same bus back as I had bought a day pass. What I did not know was that day pass was only valid inside the city and is not for the outskirts. However the nice bus driver honored my ticket and let me travel on it explaining that I should be careful in buying a return ticket instead of day pass for long journeys.