Dunraven Castle (or in Welsh, Castell Dwnrhefn) was a mansion on the South Wales coast near

Southerndown Southerndown is a village in southern Wales to the southwest of Bridgend, in St Brides Major community, close to Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea. It is mostly known for its beach which backs Dunraven Bay (Welsh: ''Bae Dwnrhefn''), which is a p ...

. The existing

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

was rebuilt as a castellated hunting lodge in the early 19th century and was extensively remodelled later in the century. The surviving parts of the house and its lands are Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

History

The site of the castle was the location for several earlier fortifications, the first of which is said to have been built by Arnold le Boteler (

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

) in the mid-12th century. By the 16th century, a manor house owned by the Vaughan family stood on the site, its existence recorded by John Leland. In 1642 the house was sold to the Wyndham family. Thomas Wyndham of Dunraven was MP for

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

from 1789 to his death in 1814. He rebuilt the manor house as a castellated hunting lodge in 1802–1806. The building was designed by his wife, although it was probably based on Clearwell Castle. The estate then passed to their daughter Caroline, who in 1810 had married the Irishman Windham Henry Quin (1782–1850), later 2nd Earl of Dunraven; in 1815 he assumed the additional name of Wyndham in right of his wife, becoming Windham Wyndham-Quin. Caroline began remodelling the building in 1858; the central tower was replaced by a conservatory and the north and south wings were enlarged by

Egbert Moxham Egbert is a name that derives from old Germanic words meaning "bright edge", such as that of a blade. Anglo-Saxon variant spellings include Ecgberht () and Ecgbert. German variant spellings include Ekbert and Ecbert. People with the first name Mid ...

. It was inherited by

Edwin Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl Edwin Richard Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl KP PC (19 May 1812 – 6 October 1871) was an Irish peer, Member of Parliament, and archaeologist. He was styled Viscount Adare from 1824 to 1850. The son of Windham Quin, 2 ...

, MP for Glamorganshire 1837–1851, and descendants. It was lived in until after the Second World War, having been used as a military hospital. The house was demolished in 1963. The castle's walled garden, gatehouse and several other structures survive and are part of the

Glamorgan Heritage Coast The Glamorgan Heritage Coast is a stretch of coastline in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, UK. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast lies between Ogmore-by-Sea and St Athan (with Nash Point at its midpoint) on the South Wales coast. There is a Herita ...

References

{{coord, 51.4434, -3.6018, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures demolished in 1963 Castles in the Vale of Glamorgan Country houses in Wales Demolished buildings and structures in Wales Former castles in Wales Houses completed in 1803 Houses in the Vale of Glamorgan Wyndham family residences