Ruperra Castle’s registered park and gardens

On 1 February 2022, the area around Ruperra Castle become a statutory protected Grade 2 registered historic park and garden which you can now view on Cof Cymru.

This is because the Statutory Register of Parks and Gardens in Wales of Special Historic Interest came into force. The new register replaced the non-statutory one that was first launched in 1994 in response to the growing awareness of the historic importance of designed landscapes and of their vulnerability to development pressure.

All registered historic parks and gardens that are of special historic interest are graded using a system like that used for listed buildings (I, II* and II). The historic layout, features and architectural ornaments of a park or garden are considered together when determining a grade. 

The deer and landscape park plus the formal garden and pleasure grounds around Ruperra Castle have been recognised as Grade 2: parks and gardens of special interest. These make up around 67 per cent of the total number of registered parks and gardens in Wales. Regardless of their grade, all registered historic parks and gardens are treated equally within the planning system.

The image from Cof Cymru shows Grade 2* Ruperra Castle and surrounding outbuildings. It is also recognised as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Site of Special Scientific Interest and now Grade 2 deer and landscape park plus formal garden and pleasure grounds.

Each registered historic park and garden is given a record where you can read a description and reason for designation. These can now be seen alongside Listed Buildings, Scheduled Ancient Monuments and World Heritage sites on Cof Cymru — National Historic Assets of Wales on Cadw’s website.

Registered historic parks and gardens

The new register was the culmination of several years’ work by the Royal Commission and Cadw working in partnership to update and enhance the records for the 400 sites across the country on the register, mapping the boundaries, writing statements of significance to justify their inclusion on the register, and liaising with the owners.

Registration identifies parks and gardens which are of special historic interest to Wales and helps to recognise all the special qualities so they can be protected for the benefit of future generations.

Historic parks and gardens are a fragile and finite resource that can be easily damaged or lost. It is important to raise awareness of their significance and to encourage those involved in their management to treat them as valuable and distinctive places. Through their care and commitment to safeguarding these precious assets, we will all be able to enjoy these historic parks and gardens of special historic interest now and in the future.

Wales became the first nation in the UK to recognise that historic parks and gardens should be protected in the same way as listed buildings and scheduled monuments, after passing the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

Find out more about registered historic parks and gardens

View Cof Cymru