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The Roof Garden is at the top of the Bute Tower and dates from around 1875. It is a highly unusual space and was intended as a quiet retreat for Lord Bute.
The garden is Roman in style and was inspired by ancient villas, as both Bute and Burges were enthused with ideas from visits to Pompeii.
Admission to the Rooftop Garden is only available by joining a guided tour.
Take a virtual look around the Roof Garden at Cardiff Castle.
The walls are tiled and illustrate stories from the life of the prophet Elijah. Beneath, Hebrew text tells the story. Lord Bute was a scholar of Hebrew, as well as many other languages.
The bronze fountain was designed by William Burges and water once gushed from corner turrets as well as from the mouths of the fish, held in the claws of bronze beavers.
The floor is of Roman style mosaic, but bordered with pink Peterhead granite from Scotland. The bronze flower boxes are copied from Roman charcoal burners, from examples discovered at Pompeii.
