Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thomas Synder
Faculty Advisor: David Wigston (deceased) and Lauren Friesen
Department of History
University of Michigan-Flint
Abstract
Cardiff Castle is selected as a specific example for how Cultural Landscapes are defined.
Its origin is from the Roman Fort built on the River Taff in the first century C.E. and the
structure was abandoned until the Norman Conquest when a wooden keep was built; a stone
structure was later built in 1140. The subsequent history shows how a cultural landscape such as
this can change with time. These changes are described including the influence of the Age of
Enlightenment under the landscape architect, “Capability” Brown, in the 1770s. Later began the
major Victorian transformation under the first Marquess of Bute, John Stuart. The economic
influence of the Industrial Revolution, the inspiration of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the
resurgence of interest in Norse mythology is illustrated within the castle walls. Today, Cardiff
Castle is the only castle in Britain owned by a city.
Cultural Landscapes
“Cultural Landscapes” can be defined in one of many ways. The term, “cultural,” is
defined as the refinement of intellectual and artistic taste, customary beliefs, social forms, and
material traits of a racial, religious or social group. “Landscapes” on the other hand are defined
as natural inland sceneries that can be modified by grading, clearing, or decorative planting.
Therefore, a cultural landscape is anything within anthropogenic origins or beliefs of any
ethnicity, people or religions that is constructed, irrigated or manipulated. This is done within the
region or society to fit a particular group’s need, interest or belief. In short, diverse societies
design their environments to satisfy any cultural means.
For cultural landscapes to be sustained they need to be preserved and taken care of. Due
to time, weathering and erosion, humankind needs to tend to its settings on a regular basis in
order to maintain them. Landscapes can be altered, modified or even destroyed by natural
disasters. If they are abandoned or not managed, their structures will eventually be conditioned
by other management practices. Natural interventions such as fields and forests, for example, can
succeed and “replace” existing landscapes.
The Nursery
In the Guest Tower is the Nursery which is, without a doubt, a child’s paradise. It is
another of Burges’ creations that was used to accommodate visitors and occupied by the Lord
and Lady Bute’s four children: Lady Margaret, Lord Dumfries, Lord Ninian and Lord Colum.
The Library
The third Marquess’ intellectual tastes and fascination of history is reflected in the
Library, which holds the theme of literature and learning. Ancient alphabets are displayed on the
carved chimneypiece and the names of worthies in literature are included on the wall decoration.
Three central bookcases designed by Burges hold Bute’s rare collection of religious books and
have marquetry panels depicting the three most famous fifth century Greek dramatists:
Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides. The bookcases are further decorated with insects, animals
and birds that were inlaid by Bute’s craftmen.
The Chapel
The dressing room where the second Marquess died in 1848 became The Chapel. Lord
Bute converted to Roman Catholicism in 1869 and asked Burges to transform the room with a
theme of resurrection. The ceiling is painted with angels and the floor has a Roman style of
inlaid marble tesserae. On the altar, angels flank the marble figure of Christ while the tomb is
guarded by bronze Roman soldiers. A bronze and silver chapel door is cast with a panel of the
Virgin Mary while stone carvings of the tree of life in full leaf set on either side of the entrance.
An axe is “embedded” in the one on the left and represents the death of the second Marquess.
Bibliography
Cardiff Castle: 2000 Years of History. 2005. Cardiff Council. 20 May, 2005
<http://www.cardiffcastle.com>
County Council of the City and County of Cardiff. Cardiff Castle. Wales: 2001
King, John. Wales. Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, 2001