10th April 2015
In 1066 the Normans landed in the south of England, William of Normandy was crowned king in 1067. In 1081 he founded a castle in Cardiff on the site of the forth century fort. This same site went onto become the site for Cardiff Castle.
In the Banqueting Hall of Cardiff Castle William Burges created a wonderful fireplace which draws on the history of the site of Cardiff Castle.
The fireplace shows Robert of Normandy who was the eldest son of King William the Conqueror is shown on the bottom left hand corner behind bars in the castle. On horseback is his nephew Robert the Consul who holds him prisoner.
The wall behind the fireplace is decorated with beautiful scenes from the life of Robert the Consul who was Lord of Cardiff Castle during the twelfth century. William Burges was fascinated by the medieval period and researched the architectural design and decoration of the period for use in his own projects. He believed in craftsmanship and brought a team of craftsmen to Cardiff Castle to create his vision using medieval techniques. Many local welsh craftsmen who had worked on the restoration of Llandaff Cathedral came to work on the Castle.
Posted in William Burges by Laura