St Fagans Castle ( cy, Castell Sain Ffagan) is an Elizabethan mansion in St Fagans,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, dating from the late 16th century. The house and remaining medieval fortifications are Grade I

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

. The grounds of St Fagans Castle now contain

St Fagans National Museum of History St Fagans National Museum of History ( ; cy, Sain Ffagan: Amgueddfa Werin Cymru, links=no), commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, cultur ...

History

A medieval castle dating from the 13th century previously existed on the site. By 1536 it lay in ruins. By 1563 the site had been sold to a Dr John Gibbon. A new house was built on the site either by Gibbon or by Nicholas Herbert, who bought the site from Gibbon in 1586.St Fagans Castle
, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 2013-09-12. Part of the D-shaped medieval boundary fortifications remain, forming a wall around the current house. Sir Edward Lewis of The Van, Caerphilly, bought the house in 1616 and the interior dates partly from then and partly from after 1850, when it began use as the preferred summer home of the senior branch of the Windsor-Clive family. These were from 1905 elevated to the Earldom of Plymouth. Their (Lord Windsor) ownership arose in 1833, namely since its passing to Lady Harriet Clive, wife of the 13th Lord Windsor. She then had carried out decades of restorations. The sequence of terraces in the gardens was created for the Windsor-Clives in 1865–6 and extended in the early 20th century. The house became a convalescent hospital for soldiers during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, with the banqueting hall containing a ward of 40 beds."St Fagans 'hidden' gems give World War I insight"
BBC News, 21 July 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-12. In 1947 the family gave the estate to the Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. Building alongside and grounds accommodate the former Welsh Folk Museum, St Fagans National Museum of History. The castle is statutorily recognised and protected in the highest category (Grade I) since 1977. The lead water cistern in the courtyard is Grade II* listed, Many garden structures have initial, mainstream Grade II status.

Gallery

File:St Fagans Castle 2008.jpg, Courtyard and lead cistern File:St Fagans Castle - geograph.org.uk - 524416.jpg, North facade and gardens File:Western Walls of St Fagans Castle.jpg, Western wall File:Castle St Fagans 01.JPG, Part of west wall and old fortifications File:Stable Block, St Fagan's Castle - geograph.org.uk - 908517.jpg, Stable block File:Water garden, St Fagans castle - geograph.org.uk - 338746.jpg, Gardens and medieval ponds

References

External links

St Fagans Castle and Gardens
St Fagans National Museum of History {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Fagans Castle Castles in Cardiff Castle ruins in Wales Historic house museums in Wales Country houses in Wales Grade I listed buildings in Cardiff St Fagans National Museum of History castle