Home > Cardiff Castle > Neogothic Interior

• 81 different species of British birds featured in the castle's decor
• John Stewart? one of the richest men in the world at time earning 20 million pounds per year
• Burges

Room 1: The Summer Smoking Room

• Above the chimney is the phrase, "Omnia Vinait Amor et nos Cedamus Amori" --> "Love conquers everything let us give ourselves to Love"
• No women were permitted in this room

Room 2: The Nursery

• 30 fairy stories are depicted on the walls including: St. George and the Dragon, Rupunzel (including a pug dog, a sign of freemasons), Beauty and the Beast, and The Invisible Prince
• Above the chimney is a warning to children: if you blow your own trumpet you will grow ears like a donkey

Room 3: The Arab Room

• The smallest room
• In 1550 Edward VI gave ??? to Herbert, Early of Pembroke
• It was used as a lookout tower (for archers and to see approaching guests)
• It housed the best archers from Wales (using longbows 6ft tall), virtually invincible but later used by ladies only for after dinner coffee
• Most expensive room in the Castle
• All inspired by Turkish design
• Ceiling hand carved by a Welshman, Thomas John
• Parrots are a prominent motif and all have their beaks shut, symbolizing the danger of gossip
• The cupboards once held Middle Eastern ornaments
• Irish marble floor
• Irish used for building labour much in Wales, as in 1800 there were only 600 people in Cardiff so the Marquess invited the Irish to work for the coal company
• Since the Irish were Catholic, Latin was used in many of the designs
• This room is currently valued at 15 million pounds

Room 4: The Banquet Hall - Now Entering Medieval Building

• Built in 1424, interior finished in 1880
• Murals show family's history painted by Lonsdale of America
• Mural scenes: Henry I, youngest son William the Conqueror, 1100-1135 rule, spoke 10 languages, son died in shipwreck so daughter Matilda took throne, her son was Henry VI ?
• Hall now rented out for parties, weddings, and graduation ceremonies

Room 5: The Gothic Dining Room

• Ceiling inspired by Islamic design
• Printed Hessian with grapes and vines
• Grapevine table, very rare with whole in centre to keep the grapevine
• Chimney designed by Thomas Nichols of London, there is one other copy in the world at Trinity College in Connecticut --> depicted is Sarah and Abraham along with some Greek writing, chimney composed of Irish marble
• Woodwork by Thomas John and rosettes hand-carved by this 12 year old son
• Wooden monkey figure affixed to wall: if someone were to push the nut in its teeth, it would call the maid; used howler monkey for design because they are the loudest in the world

Room 6: The Library

• Composed of three medieval rooms with the walls removed
• Names of famous writers appear around the room
• Decorated using Californian fire marble petrified forest?
• Central heating located under the desks
• One of the bookcases has a removable top and was used for hiding letters
• Bookcase decorations: Australian platypus, Canadian beaver, New Zealand ??, American Texan armadillo
• Wall decoration: figures hold texts in ancient languages: Greek, Assyrian, Aramaic, Hieroglyphic, and Theunic? (Viking)