John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, was one of the wealthiest men in the 19th century. He loved spending his money on fanciful architecture. After he hired eccentric architect William Bruges, the two of them splurged on building the Cardiff Castle (see separate photo gallery) and the Castell Coch. This lavish restoration of a 13th century castle was intended to be an occasional summer house. After construction was completed in 1891, neither the owner nor his subsequent generations spent much time here. Castell Coch was donated to the government in 1950 and is managed by Cadw, a heritage agency. This is the inner courtyard with the twin turrets of the Well Tower in the background.
