Castell Coch Wedding Photography

Here are some examples of my Castell Coch wedding photography from previous assignments at this South Wales wedding venue. The conical turrets of Castell Coch, or the “Red Castle’ looms out of the Welsh forest hillside like the quintessential fairy tale castle. It is located in the woods of Fforest Fawr, near the South Wales village of Tongwynlais. What can be seen today is a 19th century gothic revival castle, designed by the renowned architect, William Burges. Though this lavishly decorated Victorian interpretation, sits on remains dating back to the 11th century. The Normans had built a fortress to protect their newly conquered lands and trading routes. The fort’s earth foundation was used again by Gilbert de Clare, to build a stone fortification in the 13th century to defend his Welsh lands. In time possession of the castle and grounds came to the family of the Marquess of Bute. It was the 3rd marquess, John Crichton-Stuart, who employed Burges to reconstruct the historic building to its present condition. In 1950, the 5th marquess placed the care of Castell Coch in the hands of Cadw, the Welsh historic preservation body.