Animal Wall
Summary
Type Sculpture
Realistic carved animals on alternate mullions of castle wall. Animals include hyena, bear and monkeys which appear to be escaping over the wall. The wall was first erected in 1887-8 to the designs of William Burges inspired by the 13th century drawings of Villard de Honnecourt. Thomas Nicholls, assisted by his son and W. Antill, modelled nine animals. The wall was originally further east in Castle Street. Moved to its present location in 1930 when it was supplemented with six more animals by Alexander Carrick of Edinburgh.
Contributor details
| Contributor | Role |
|---|---|
| Nicholls, Thomas | Sculptor |
| Carrick, Alexander | Sculptor |
Element details
| Part of work | Material | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| None | Stone | None |
PMSA recording information
| Reference | Region |
|---|---|
| CARDIFF058 | AH |
| General condition | Good |
|---|---|
| Surface condition |
|
| Structural condition |
|
| Vandalism |
|
| Road | Castle Street |
|---|---|
| Precise location | On park wall between south-west angle of Cardiff Castle and West Lodge |
| A-Z ref | None |
| OS ref | ST178764 |
| Date of design | 1887 - 1888, 1930 - 1931 |
|---|---|
| Year of unveiling | 1888, 1931 |
| Unveiling details | 1888, 1931 |
| Commissioned by | Lord Bute / William Burges |
| Duty of care | Cardiff County Council |
| Listing status | I |
|---|---|
| At risk? | No known risk |