Walk and Talk, Tea and Cakes
Heritage Open Doors Day September 1st 2013
Ruperra
Castle! Get out your walking boots!!
An
event to really look forward to!
Ruperra Castle and Ruperra Home Farm
walk and talk, tea and cakes Sunday 1 Sept, 2pm-5pm
Booking
required in
order to establish numbers for the food. Email Patjonesjenkins@googlemail.com or phone
01656 741622 with your telephone
number and names.
There
is a CHARGE for
tea of £5 per person. Cheques should
be made out to Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust and sent to
Doug Knight, 32 Afon Mead, Rogerstone,
Newport, NP10 9JL.
This
guided walk enables participants to view the exterior of the castle, which was
built in 1626 by Sir Thomas Morgan of Machen. Ruperra is unique in Wales as a
Jacobean ‘chivalric’ castle. Morgan was an official of the Earls of Pembroke,
and Ruperra became a focus both for Renaissance culture and traditional Welsh
poetry and music. Charles I stayed here in 1645, as he tried to raise support
in the aftermath of Naseby. The castle was struck by fire in 1941, at which
time it was being used as an army billet. The Ruperra Preservation Trust aims
to buy and consolidate the ruin. Tea and cakes will be offered in the old barn
at the Ruperra Home Farm. This is a working farm which once provided the food
for the Morgan family at the castle. A diary written between the 1890s and the
1920s by the farmer, William Beechey, describes the events of each day.
Meet at Ruperra Home Farm NP10 8GG / ST 223 864
Approaching
from east (Michaelston, Draethen) or west (Lisvane, Cefn Mably) the turn off
will be signed. Parking at Home Farm.
These are rough roads, so drive slowly. Nearest bus stops 1 mile. An optional
extra walk up to the Iron Age Hillfort and Norman Motte on the summit of the
woodland Coed Craig Ruperra is steep and may be muddy.
Here walkers are viewing Ruperra Castle from
the field to the south at last year’s Open Doors Day. It was a great success -
the cakes at the Barn were described as the best ever tasted!