Bishop's Palace

The Bishop’s Palace stands as the ruined residence of the bishops of Llandaff, a short distance south of Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. Built as a small medieval fortress, it occupied a rectangular enclosure measuring fifty-two by forty metres. The site once had four curtain walls, three towers and a gatehouse at the western corner. One tower was square, another round, and the third has vanished. The twin-towered gatehouse remains the most visible structure today. The gatehouse’s design resembles Caerphilly Castle, suggesting the same master mason may have worked on both in the late 13th century. It originally had two storeys above a basement, a vaulted archway, a portcullis slot and an oak door with decorative ironwork. The palace was attacked during Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion early in the 15th century and later abandoned. Bishops returned to live near the cathedral only in the 19th century. Visitors find the twin-towered gatehouse and the remains of the curtain walls within the rectangular enclosure. The surviving structures are Grade I listed for their exceptional architectural and historical interest. Timber buildings that once filled the courtyard have disappeared. The site offers a quiet glimpse of medieval power and the shifting fortunes of the bishops who once governed here.