Castell y Van

Image: © Colin Park Taken: 19 Feb 2010

This building lies on the eastern edge of Caerphilly and a description of the building located by the entrance gates reads as follow;- Records referring to Van Castle date from 1415, but the dressed stone quoins and faced stones of the lodge, keep and main mansion building carry 12th century mason marks and are from the original Norman castle. In the grounds of Van Castle stood one of the largest medieval columnbrians (dove cotes) in Britain. The round pennant stone building contained over 100 nesting boxes and was described as a truly remarkable building. In 1529 Van Castle became the home of Sir Edward Lewis, descended from the Welsh Prince of Gwarthfoed. The Lewis family controlled vast estates in Wales and England and during the 16th century the Van was described as one of the finest houses in the county. In 1640 in his diary, the writer Symons of the Royalist (Kings) Army states Sir Edward Lewis Esq de Van has an annual income of £5,000pa from the vast Van Estates. The Van Castle and the Vast Lewis family estates in England and Wales passed with the marriage in 1730 of Elizabeth Lewis to the Third Earl of Plymouth. Her infant son other Lewis became the 4th Earl of Plymouth on the death of his father in 1732 and Van Castle remained part of the Plymouth Estate until 1991. The Castle Lodge, Castle Keep and Van Castle Mansion are now three private residences, and are not open to the public.

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