Old Beaupre Castle

Old Beaupre Castle is an impressive derelict manor house built around two courtyards dating back in part to the 14th century. Access to the castle is free, but requires walking across a field via a public right of way – and the field is used for grazing, I was followed by a herd of curious cows when I visited!

The oldest part of the building is a residential building, perhaps a particularly complex tower house, or perhaps a hall and solar. This building was extended in the 15th century by the addition or reworking of a great hall on the western side; the resulting manor running east-west, roughly speaking. In the 16th century this was extended again by the addition of a square tower on the northern side of the old tower, and a square building at the western end of the 15th century hall. This building was then extended again about 1570 by the addition of a rectangular wing projecting northwards from the western end of the building, and the courtyard was then closed off c1586 with a gatehouse and courtyard wall – although it would not be unreasonable to suppose this replaced an earlier structure. This was accompanied by a grand Renaissance facade gate tower on the front of the hall, containing the porch, but primarily for display. Finally a substantial kitchen and serving range was added to the eastern end of the old tower, extending southwards, an outer court was placed in front of the courtyard gatehouse, and walled gardens were placed between the mansion and the brewhouse and bakehouse which were separate and to the rear. The result was a very impressive statement of architecture and wealth.

The tower house or solar/hall phase of the building was the work of the Bassett family, who had acquired the estate by marriage to the de Cardiff family of St Hilary prior to 1262, and was called Beaupre Castle in 1376. The last two Bassets were Jenkin (d1492) and his son James (d1502) who left a daughter Eleanor as a very eligible child heiress. In 1511 she was married to Rice Mansell, but she died in 1515 without children, which gave Mansell the right to residence until his death. From his second marriage, a daughter Catherine then married James Bassett’s nephew, William. This initiative then returned Beaupre to the Bassets, and much extension was done by Rice Mansell prior to his death in 1559, continued by William Basset, and completed by his son Richard. However, Richard Bassett was sheriff of Glamorgan and led troops out to fight for the King in 1643. His support cost him financially, and forced him to live in a smaller house. His son and grandson also had financial difficulty, and perhaps attempted to reduce taxes by blocking up windows and chimneys. In the end they were forced to sell up in 1709, but the Jones family did not choose to live here, and most was left to decline with the south-eastern wing remaining in use as a farmhouse into the 19th century, after which it was abandoned.

RCAHMW Coflein database entry

Official Cadw page for Old Beaupre