Last weekend, we took a long day trip to visit and revisit two castles. The first was Caerphilly (home of the cheese) castle. This castle has two concentric moats, and was built in 1268 (or at least started then). Right across the road is the information centre, where we bought some of the local, white, crumbly cheese. Parts of the castle have been restored, but other parts are attractively ruined. Strange how ancient ruins seem much more picturesque than modern derelict buildings.
The second castle we saw, and the original reason for our trip, was Castell Coch. This castle is just outside Cardiff, and was built on the site of a 13th century fort. This castle was actually constructed in the 1870s for the owner of Cardiff castle. It apparently was never intended as a permanent residence, and although it has a gigantic dining hail, there was no guest
accommodation. It was really just a very rich person's folly. With its turrets, and completely over-the-top decor, it just shows what
can be achieved by large amounts of money, unhindered by notions of conventional good taste!
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