The livery of the Pentrych Hunt was a brown coat with a black velvet collar and brass buttons worn with a red waistcoat.
Every season the Bute family gave a meet of the Pentrych Hunt at Castell Coch.
Meet of the Pentrych Hunt at Castell Coch
Showing posts with label Pentrych Hunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pentrych Hunt. Show all posts
Monday, 17 November 2014
Pentrych Hunt
The Pentrych Hunt in South Wales had a 200 year old history. For much the 20th century the hunt enjoyed close links with Crichton-Stuart family. Both the Marquess and Marchioness of Bute had been Masters. In particular the 4th Marchioness was a passionate foxhunter, she was not only Master of the Pentrych but also of the Eglington in Scotland. She collected numerous hunting trophies which were displayed at the stables in Cardiff, including the brush of a fox killed by the Vatican hounds in Italy. At Castell Coch, the jewel of a castle on the former Bute estate north of Cardiff, in the Well tower, is a vitrine containing cut out wooden figures of the Pentrych Hunt, hounds,horses, masters and servants.
In 2014 the Pentrych Hunt amalgamated with the Llangeinor Hunt.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Castell Coch
Castell Coch, on a steeply wooded hillside north of Cardiff is proof that fairy tales do, sometimes, come true. Of course it helped that the client was John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, the spectacularly rich 3rd Marquess of Bute and his architect was eccentric genius William Burges, one of 19th century Britain's most imaginative designers. While working for Lord Bute at Cardiff Castle, William Burges drew up plans for the reconstruction of Castell Coch, a ruined 13th century castle on the Bute estates north-east of Cardiff. Although the plans were drawn up in 1872, due to the scale of the ongoing work at Cardiff Castle, work on Castell Coch did not begin until 1875.
Lord Bute a serious and committed antiquarian and scholar had a passionate interest in archaeology. In 1871 he commissioned an extensive programme of excavations at Castell Coch, the Red Castle. So in 1872 with the ruins cleared of vegetation he asked William Burges to imagine what the original appearance of the castle would have been like.
The origins of the castle go back to the 11th century when the Welsh were defending their country against the Norman invaders who sought to conquer the south-west of the country. The first stronghold on the site was a motte and bailey, later a stone keep was erected on the summit. By the 13th century the area was controlled by the powerful Clare family, lords of Glamorgan, and they built the first of Castell Coch's three great towers, the Well Tower.
Two further towers were added to the southern face of the castle, overlooking the Taff Gorge, most probably by Earl Gilbert de Clare (1263-95), responsible for building Caerphilly Castle. However soon after Castell Coch seems to have suffered the depredations of war and was finally abandoned after the Welsh rebellions of the early 14th century. Then, after a gap of 550 years, the Marquess of Bute engaged William Burges to recreate the castle.
What Lord Bute's cash and William Burges' imagination created was a stunning fantasy castle. Never intended to be a permanent residence Castell Coch was a spectacular folly to augment Lord Bute's vast Welsh estates.
The dramatic entrance to the castle is by means of a wooden bridge to the gatehouse, defended by a working portcullis and drawbridge and a wooden platform above. Bute and Burgess wanted to emulate Viollet-le-Duc at Carcassonne and Pierrefonds. Spiritual protection is provided by a statue of the Madonna and Child
The Courtyard was inspired by the castle of Chillon and Viollet-le-Duc's covered wall walk at Pierrefonds.
The Courtyard and wall walk
The Portcullis
The Banqueting Hall
The vaulted galleried Drawing Room is the most spectacular room at Castell Coch.
The Drawing Room
The Three Fates of Greek mythology on the chimney-piece.
The drawing room ceiling
The walls of the drawing room are painted with scenes from Aesop's Fables.
Lord Bute's Bedroom
Ceiling of Lord Bute's Bedroom
Lord Bute's Bedroom
Lady Bute's Bedroom
Ceiling of Lady Bute's Bedroom
Armoire
The washstand
Lady Margaret's Bedroom
Stained glass from the Chapel
Although Castell Coch was never intended as a permanent residence, after Lord Bute's death, his widow and daughter Lady Margaret withdrew here for the mourning period. Lady Bute recieved the use of Castell Coch for life. However the castle was only used for occassional visits in summer and for an annual meet of the Pentrych Hunt. The castle was requisitioned in the Second World War and in 1950, the 5th Marquess of Bute handed Castell Coch over to the Ministry of Works, whose successors Cadw care for the castle today.
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