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. 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. the timber bridge ran from a doorway opened up in the base of the bute tower across a leat directly into the park. in the 1920s, bute's son had j. p. grant construct a new west gate into the castle at the corner of bute park and moved the swiss bridge to a new location below castle mews. by the 1960s, the bridge was derelict, having suffered considerably from vandalism and cardiff city council had it broken up.