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!