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 wi ...

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 Ir ...

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 Arnold le Boteler, the first recorded 'lord' of the Welsh village of Pembrey, was a late 11th and early 12th century Norman squire with a penchant for property development. He established the manor house and estate which is now known as Court Far ...

(

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. It was inherited by Edwin Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, MP for Glamorganshire 1837–1851, and descendants. It was lived in until after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, 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. Dunraven Castle prior to demolition

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