Cardiff Castle keep was built by the Normans on the remains of a Roman fort. The castle was extended several times in Medieval times. Various noble families lived in the castle until it was acquired by marriage by Lord Bute in 1766.
The Bute family became rich from exporting coal. The 3rd Marquess of the Bute family was reputed to be the richest man in the world. Much of the castle has been rebuilt in a style he and his architect William Burges thought it looked liked in ages past.
Even though much of the additional buildings have been altered throughout the centuries, the Norman keep in the centre of the castle remains mostly in original state.