Cardiff Castle

Murals telling the tales of Robert the Consul greet visitors to this most important room of the castle. A spectacular fireplace is the centerpiece of the hall.

The second Marquess of Bute used this as his dressing room until he died in the room in 1848. Of note are the Tree of Life carved on one side of the door and a fallen tree, symbolizing the frailty of life, on the other side.

The door leading to this tower is watched over by a carved figure of the Devil. Visitors enter the Winter Smoking Room with its magnificently designed fire place, cut from a single block of Forest of Dean stone. Further up the tower can be found the Bachelors' Bedroom, in which the Crichton-Stuart coat-of-arms surmounted by the Crown of Scotland has been displayed on the overmantel. A series of fragmented rocks from the Bute and precious stones add a special touch in the decor of the room.

On the top floor is the Summer Smoking Room, with the figure of a chained dragon guarding the doorway. The floor is laid out in a bronze model of the world while the chandelier is a symbol of the sun.

Stained glass windows portray Cardiff as it was in the past. A mural, over 100 yards in length, portrays Cardiffs Roman ancestry.

The main room of this tower is the Arab Room, done in a mock Moorish pattern with a gilded ceiling and cedarwood cupboards. Of prime value though is the chimney-piece of white marble and insets of lapis lazuli.

Stained glass windows portray biblical themes here and fine craftmanship has been put into the paneled doors and bookcases.

Using mainly a Scottish theme, the tower features the lion of the arms of Scotland at the floor of the staircase. Shields hang over the doors and scenes from Aesop's Fables are found in painted insets on the staircase. At the top of the tower is the Chaucer Room with its stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Canterbury Tales. Of particular interest is the oak paneling with patterns of wild flowers and inlays of mother-of-pearl.