17. The Mount

This part of the wall walk – known as the Mount – is a traditional viewing point.

It was a popular spot in the 18th century, when the people of Cardiff were allowed into the Castle grounds on Sundays. Many artists came here to sketch and paint the view. And there were also increasing numbers of tourists –

‘The walks are kept in clean order…’

– wrote one Georgian guide-book –

‘…and afford to the inhabitants of Cardiff an excellent promenade, exhibiting a beautiful and diversified view in every direction. And from the eminence at one corner a rich and charming scene of the Channel and surrounding country is presented.’

It’s no longer possible to see the sea from here. However nearby – you can still see the tower of St John’s Church which has stood in the centre of Cardiff for over 800 years.

And the Mount is still an excellent place to stop and take a look around the Castle grounds.

Peregrine Bertie is the grandson of the 4th Marquess of Bute. His family were the last to occupy Cardiff Castle. Peregrine can remember playing in these grounds as a child in the early 1930s.

‘I do remember there was this lovely man on the gate, a very distinguished tall figure in his top hat and a cockade and a long coat – who was the gatekeeper, and obviously we loved him, he was always very kind to us’.

‘We were lucky enough to be able to run around the grounds. And we had our tricycles and we could do that. We had these ponies which my grandmother got for us. She encouraged us to ride and of course the grooms looked after us and so on and it was wonderful for us’.

Peregrine also remembers running around the Castle walls, and through the mural tunnels which had been built underneath this wall walk.

‘They were filled with trestles with shards of pottery which my grandparents and other people had excavated I suppose… We just ran round the grounds, because we had the place to ourselves, we were very, very fortunate…’