What a stinker of a day with the weather. I dropped my wife of for her to do one of her 3 or 4 weekly 1.5 mile swims at St Mellons Country Club whilst I went to Makro, Taffs Well, to do some shopping.

On the way back, I stopped at Morganstown and got a blip photo of Castle Coch. We got married there on 11 June 1999, and then had our wedding reception at a chip shop in Cardiff Bay!

Castell Coch (English: Red Castle) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification. It is situated on a steep hillside high above the village of Tongwynlais, to the north of Cardiff in Wales, and is a Grade I listed building as from 28 January 1963.

Designed by William Burges, with an impressively medieval appearance, working portcullis and drawbridge, and sumptuous interiors which rival those of Cardiff Castle.

The earlier fortification was constructed by a Welsh chieftain referred to as Ifor Bach ("Little Ivor"). In the late 13th century the castle site was claimed by the De Clare family because of its strategic importance, commanding both the plains area and the entrance to the Taff valley. The castle was rebuilt in stone and consisted of a keep, towers, an enclosed courtyard and a gatehouse. Although the early history of the castle is largely undocumented, it is generally accepted that it was severely damaged during a period of Welsh rebellion in the early 14th century

In 1871, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, ordered the site to be cleared of vegetation and debris while his architect, William Burges, drew up plans for a full reconstruction. Burges and the Marquess had been working for over three years on the rebuilding of Cardiff Castle.

What they had built makes an outstanding landmark overlooking Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.