One of the most iconic features of Cardiff Castle is the Clock Tower, which stands tall and proud at the south-west corner of the castle walls.
The Clock Tower is not only a beautiful and impressive sight, but its design has been carefully thought through around the theme of time, as I’ll share in this article. I’ll also explain how you can visit the rooms inside the tower.
About the Clock Tower
Cardiff Castle’s clock tower was not part of the original design. It was added by the Third Marquess of Bute and his architect William Burges. Together, they were responsible for most of the renovations at Cardiff Castle including the lavish interiors.
The clock tower at Cardiff Castle was the tallest building in Cardiff during Victorian times, standing 40m tall.
The tower features seven 3m tall figures of Gods in colourful medieval costumes, these represent the classical planets as Roman gods. The classical planets are the seven objects that are visible in the sky to the naked eye; Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, the sun, and the moon.
Each figure is stood on the symbol of the zodiac that they represent. The statues were designed by Thomas Nicholls, a London-based sculptor. The design is very grand and elaborate, around the sculptures are heraldic shields and the windows have been painted with gold leaf to look as if they are made from solid gold.
Interior of Cardiff Castle Clock Tower
There are seven rooms in the clock tower across seven floors:
- Gardener Accommodation – The two lower rooms were designed as accommodation for the gardener. The head gardener for the Third Marquess was Andrew Pettigrew. He was originally based at their family home in Scotland but was moved here in 1873 to develop the castle grounds, now Bute Park.
ㅤ - Winter Smoking Room – The smoking rooms are where the gentlemen of the house would go to smoke after dinner. The winter smoking room has been decorated around the theme of time. The corners feature the times of day, the windows feature the days of the week and around the ceiling are the signs of the zodiac. It also has a fireplace to keep warm in the winter.
ㅤ - Bachelor Bedroom – The bachelor bedroom was designed around the theme of mineral wealth. It was originally a bachelor room for the Third Marquess, however, by the time it was finished, he was already married. The Third Marquess and his wife spent their honeymoon at Cardiff Castle instead.
ㅤ - Clock Room and Maids Kitchen – The clock room is where the clock mechanism would have been located. The bell is a half-scale model of the one found in Victoria Tower at Westminster Palace in London. There was also a floor allocated for the maid’s kitchen, also known as a servant’s room.
ㅤ - Summer Smoking Room – The summer smoking room occupied the top floor of the clock tower. It was a grand room, two storeys high with an internal balcony. From the summer smoking room, there were panoramic views across Cardiff, as far as the family’s Bute Docks which is now Cardiff Bay. It has been designed around the theme of the universe with the night sky painted on the ceiling, a huge golden chandelier representing the sun, and a map of the world in mosaic on the floor.
The below photos are from the winter smoking room showing some of the decoration around the theme of time.
How To Visit the Clock Tower
The only way to visit the clock tower at Cardiff Castle is by taking a guided tour of the castle.
If you do not take the tour, you will not have access to the rooms in the clock tower as they are not open to the public without a guide.
The regular house tour will visit just the Winter Smoking Room whereas the clock tower tour will visit all of the rooms in the castle. However, the clock tower tour is only available during peak visitor season so I was unable to take this myself.
You’ll have to pay the admission fee as well as the extra cost of taking a guided tour. You can find up-to-date prices for these in my guide to visiting Cardiff Castle.
History of the Clock Tower
The clock tower was not part of the original castle design. In fact, the castle stood here for hundreds of years without the clock. The first motte and bailey castle was built here in the 11th century and in the 12th century, it was rebuilt with stone.
However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that the clock tower was added. Work on Cardiff Castle clock tower started in 1869 and took around five years to complete.
The clock tower was built under the watchful eye of William Burges, the Third Marquess of Bute’s chief architect. This was the first project they would complete together and the beginning of many further renovations they would undertake at the castle.
The design of the clock tower wasn’t brand new. Burgess had previously submitted this design for the Royal Courts of Justice in London but was unsuccessful in his bid as it was considered too impractical. He modified this design and proposed it to the Third Marquess.
You can find out more about how the castle evolved over time in my dedicated articles on the history of Cardiff Castle.
Is Cardiff Castle Worth Visiting?
Yes, Cardiff Castle is one of the best castles to visit in South Wales. Most people don’t realise that the castle courtyard is free to visit where you can enjoy a drink from the castle café. However, I would recommend purchasing a ticket so that you can go inside the Norman Keep and explore the rooms within the mansion.
A guided house tour is also worth the extra cost as you’ll see rooms that you can’t access with a regular ticket.
Published: 19 April 2023