Old Beaupre, Glamorgan
Old Beaupre manor as it may have appeared in c. 1300 from the west. Illustration: Daniel Secker
The present ruin of Old Beaupre 'castle' is to all appearances an entirely Elizabethan mansion, though the embattled wall of the outer court has a decidedly medieval air, and may be why the house was later known as a 'castle'.
The inner court of the house is in fact nearly three centuries earlier than this. Survey by the Royal Commission on Architectural and Historical Monuments (Wales) in the 1970s showed that Old Beaupre originated as a manor house of c. 1300 built around a courtyard (RCAHMW 1981, 46-63).
The reconstruction drawing shows the house in its original state. In the foreground is a substantial hall with a great chamber above. This is flanked on its eastern side by a gatehouse. Only the easternmost gate tower survives, but a blocked doorway to the west of the original gate passage suggests there may have been a second tower. At right angles to the gatehouse was the kitchen and there were ancillary buildings on the other side of the courtyard
Reference
RCAHMW Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments (Wales), Glamorgan, Volume 4, Part 1: The Greater Houses. London : HMSO
The present ruin of Old Beaupre 'castle' is to all appearances an entirely Elizabethan mansion, though the embattled wall of the outer court has a decidedly medieval air, and may be why the house was later known as a 'castle'.
The inner court of the house is in fact nearly three centuries earlier than this. Survey by the Royal Commission on Architectural and Historical Monuments (Wales) in the 1970s showed that Old Beaupre originated as a manor house of c. 1300 built around a courtyard (RCAHMW 1981, 46-63).
The reconstruction drawing shows the house in its original state. In the foreground is a substantial hall with a great chamber above. This is flanked on its eastern side by a gatehouse. Only the easternmost gate tower survives, but a blocked doorway to the west of the original gate passage suggests there may have been a second tower. At right angles to the gatehouse was the kitchen and there were ancillary buildings on the other side of the courtyard
Reference
RCAHMW Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments (Wales), Glamorgan, Volume 4, Part 1: The Greater Houses. London : HMSO