Preserving Castell Coch and restoring its timeless splendour
You may soon notice scaffolding appearing on the Well Tower of our fairy-tale castle in the trees, this is to enable weatherproofing work on roofs and chimneys, as well as extensive re-pointing of stone walls.
During the conservation work, we’re committed to keeping the castle open as much as possible, as we recognise the importance of continued public access to these iconic Welsh landmarks. We know how much our visitors appreciate the opportunity to admire the artwork that makes this castle so enchanting.
This phase of work in 2024 will not affect opening times and Castell Coch will remain open but please check our website and our social media channels for updates.
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Conservation of Castell Coch’s Well Tower begins in spring 2024. The Well Tower, to the right of the main gatehouse entrance, is constructed of an inner and outer stone wall with a rubble core. Over the years this core had become saturated with water which was sealed in using impervious cement mortar to point the stone.
As a result, the interior walls are generally damp and even wet in places, resulting in very damp conditions on the interior walls, which is damaging the fabric of the building In spring 2024, scaffolding will be put up and the cement mortar between the building stone removed to allow the inner core of the walls to slowly dry out over the following 12 months. Once we’re satisfied the core has dried out sufficiently, the walls will be re-pointed in a breathable lime mortar.
This phase of work is part of a long-term campaign to remove as much moisture as possible from the masonry and the interior walls, to enable the long-term conservation of the highly significant decorative interiors of Castell Coch.
It follows an earlier successful phase concluded in 2019 to repair the roof and chimneys of the Keep Tower (to the left of the entrance) and installation of a new heating system.
Further campaigns will follow to repair the Kitchen Tower and to begin the painstaking conservation of the interior decoration.
We hope you will continue to enjoy exploring the castle, learning about its history and our ongoing commitment to retain the precious interiors of this Gothic Victorian vision; and please ask our on-site teams for more information during your visit.
The conservation works will run from April 2024 for 24 months.
Your support contributes to the protection of these great monuments and ensures our heritage continues to inspire current and future generations.
For regular updates and for opportunities to see the conservation in action, check our website and social media channels, you can also sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our Cadw news.
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