John Crichton-Stuart inherited his title and estates at the age of six months, in 1848 on the death of his father
the second Marquess. 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". In 1865, the Marquess met
William Burges and the two embarked on an architectural partnership, the results of which long outlasted Burges' own death in 1881. 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 and
Castell Coch. Until the 1850s, Bute Park, laid out on the site of five farms and known as Cooper's Fields, was open to the public. In 1858,
Bute's mother gave
Sophia Gardens to the city and Bute Park was closed and transformed into the private gardens for the castle. The work was led by Bute's head gardener
Andrew Pettigrew. Bute wanted an access point from the castle directly into the gardens and, in response, Burges gave him the Swiss Bridge. Construction began around 1873, although some sources give 1875 as the construction date. By the 1960s, the bridge was derelict, having suffered considerably from vandalism, and Cardiff City Council had it broken up. ==Architecture and description==