The Swiss Bridge at Cardiff Castle was built by the architect William Burges for John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute in 1873.

[1] His father's shrewd investments in the development of the port and city of Cardiff, and the enormous revenues from coal, together with his wider patrimony, left the third marquess very considerable wealth and at the time of his coming of age he was claimed to be "the richest man in the world".

Bute's desires and money allied with Burges' fantastical imagination and skill led to the creation of two of the finest examples of the late Victorian era Gothic Revival, Cardiff Castle[3] and Castell Coch.

Bute wanted an access point from the castle directly into the gardens and, in response, Burges gave him the Swiss Bridge.

[5] The architectural historian and Burges expert Joseph Mordaunt Crook called it a "jeu d'esprit, unique in this country".