#dunraven castle

Dyndryfan: Fortress of the three rocks or triangle fortress

The Castle of Dunraven was built on the site of an early Iron Age Fort.  It is said to have been a Royal-Roman stronghold during the time of Bran, the son of Lear.  There is record of the Saxons burning the residence of Dunraven during 1050, it is also noted that Rhys ap Tewder destroyed the residence some thirty years later (1080) when it was the home of Iestyn ap Cwrgan, the last native Prince of Glamorgan.  

During the time of the Normans ‘Donrevyn’ fell under the Lordship of William de Londres, one of Robert FitzHamon’s Twelve Knights of Glamorgan. In about 1128 the manor and land of Dunraven was awarded to Arnold de Boteler  (the Butler of the Ogmore residence of the de Londres family) after he bravely defended Ogmore Castle against the attack of the Welsh.

The Boteler (Butler) family held Dunraven throughout the 12^th , 13^th, 14^th and 15^th centuries until the male line of the Boteler’s died out.  During this time it (15^th century) is reported that Owain Glyndwr destroyed the Castle.  Ann, the daughter of Jane and John Boteler  married the soon to be notorious Walter Vaughan thus bringing the estate into the Vaughan family.  During the 1540’s Dunraven is described as a “Manor Place” owned by Walter Vaughan.  In 1642 Sir Richard Vaughan sold the estate to Humphry Wyndham the husband of Jane Carne of Ewenny whose descendants were the Earls  of Dunraven.

In 1803 Mr Thomas Wyndham made alterations to the Manor House as did his grandson Edwin (the son of Countess  Caroline of Dunraven) in 1858! After these works the Manor House attracted the named Dunraven Castle due to its many castellations.

During World War One and World War Two the ‘Castle’ was used as Glamorgan Red Cross County Hospital. (Still in the hands of the Earls of Dunraven)

After the Second World War the Manor House was used as a WTA Guest House.  The property and grounds were rented and run by the W.T.A from the 6th Earl of Dunraven Richard Southwell Windham Robert Wyndham-Quin.  The property was managed by Mr & Mrs Anderson.