The 4th Marquess

It's estimated that Caerphilly Castle's south east tower leans 10 degrees, a couple of degrees more than The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

One of the interesting things at the castle is this giant wood carving holding up the leaning tower. It can be seen from outside the castle and has attracted a lot of attention. I have been asked about it, and thought I'd get a photograph.

The giant marquess of Bute, created by John Merrill out of wood from Powys Castle Estate. This huge piece of work depicts the 4th marquess of Bute holding up the leaning tower of the castle alluding to his restoration work.

The history of the restoration is detailed below. As the castle was a ruin, a lot of stone was robbed, most of it going to build Van Mansion (visible from the castle) in the 16th century. The Marquesses of Bute, incredibly wealthy, are responsible for saving the second biggest castle in the UK, and donating it to the nation in 1950.

The 1st Marquess of Bute acquired the castle in 1776 and took steps to protect the ruins. His great-grandson John Crichton-Stuart (the third marquess), was immensely rich as the result of the family's holdings in the South Wales coalfields and was passionately interested in the medieval period. He had the site fully surveyed  and reroofed the great hall in the 1870s. The marquess began a process of buying back leasehold properties around the castle with the intent of clearing back the town houses that had been built up to the edge of the site.

The fourth marquess,  John Crichton-Stuart, an enthusiastic restorer and builder, commissioned a major restoration project between 1928 and 1939. The stonework was carefully repaired, with moulds made to recreate missing pieces. The Inner East Gatehouse was rebuilt, along with several of the other towers. The marquess carried out landscaping work, with the intent of eventually re-flooding the lakes, and thanks to several decades of purchases was finally able to demolish the local houses encroaching on the view of the castle.