Ruperra Estate for sale - 1934

6 December marks 80 years since Ruperra Castle was gutted by fire during the second world war. To commemorate the event we are telling stories from our book, Ruperra Castle War and Flames 1939-46.

The Ruperra Estate, part of the huge Tredegar Estates, which once covered 53,000 acres in South East Wales, is situated in beautiful open rolling countryside between Cardiff, Caerphilly and Newport.

Godfrey who became Lord Tredegar in 1875 was known as Godfrey the good because he believed that with great wealth came great responsibility. He had made Tredegar House his main residence and his brother, affectionately known as Colonel Freddie remained at Ruperra. The brothers were famous for their part in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War in 1856.

Godfrey was helping with repairs at Ruperra when his brother died unexpectedly in 1909. However Freddie’s son Courtenay who loved Ruperra, carried on making the Estate beautiful for his own son Evan to inherit. When Godfrey died in 2013 there was daily income of £1,000 for the Ruperra Estate. By 1930 the whole Tredegar estate was already being affected by the economic depression after the end of the First World War, and the new Lord Courtenay seemed to want to live like a lord. A skeleton staff kept the estate and the beautiful gardens in good order and provided for the needs of the Morgan family and their weekend shooting and hunting parties.

In the following November 1935 the contents of the Castle were sold. What was left was taken to Tredegar House for safekeeping. Gamekeepers Mr Rae and Mr Blackburn looked after the Castle, the outbuildings and parkland. Tom Pembridge lived on the estate, tending the generators and acting as caretaker until the estate was finally sold to the Eagle Star Insurance Company in 1956.

​When Courtenay died in 1934 there were three huge death duties to pay. The Ruperra Estate was put up for sale but there were no offers to buy. Another war was looming and the Ministry of Defence were already having discussions with the trustees of the Ruperra Estate. Its location overlooking the Bristol Channel, and its capacity for accommodating and training soldiers were obvious.

80 years on and Ruperra Castle is still a ruin at risk of collapse - help Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust save the Castle and surrounding buildings and gardens by campaigning to secure them to use for community benefit, and to ensure a better future for our precious local heritage. Help us secure a future for this important monument - become a member before the end of 2021 and we will send you a free copy of our book – Ruperra Castle War and Flames 1939-46. You can also buy the book separately for £6.