Saturday, September 27, 2025
Not so much a castle as a mansion
The Margam Park website tells us that the 19th Century Tudor Gothic Mansion was designed by the architect Thomas Hopper for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
It was built in 1830 – 40 at a cost of £50,000 using sandstone from nearby Pyle quarry. Listed Grade I as a mansion of exceptional quality, the Castle has some spectacular features such as the vast staircase hall and octagonal tower. The equivalent value of the work today would be about £1.3m:
One frequent visitor to Margam was Talbot’s cousin, Henry Fox Talbot of Lacock. A pioneer photographer, he succeeded in taking one of the earliest photographic views which clearly shows the corner of the south west façade.
Until 1942, the Castle and estate remained in the ownership of the Talbot family when it was acquired by a local landowner, Sir David Evans Bevan, and in 1974 by the County Council, the present owners, when it was of ruinous state.
A disastrous fire in 1977 gutted the interior. An ambitious restoration programme was embarked upon, much has been achieved and the programme continues.
The outbuildings house the Visitor Centre including the gift shop, cafe and outlets. It is a grade one building and well worth a visit.
One frequent visitor to Margam was Talbot’s cousin, Henry Fox Talbot of Lacock. A pioneer photographer, he succeeded in taking one of the earliest photographic views which clearly shows the corner of the south west façade.
Until 1942, the Castle and estate remained in the ownership of the Talbot family when it was acquired by a local landowner, Sir David Evans Bevan, and in 1974 by the County Council, the present owners, when it was of ruinous state.
A disastrous fire in 1977 gutted the interior. An ambitious restoration programme was embarked upon, much has been achieved and the programme continues.
The outbuildings house the Visitor Centre including the gift shop, cafe and outlets. It is a grade one building and well worth a visit.
