A brief history of Tedegar House

Tredegar House is the finest Restoration house in Wales. For over five hundred years the estate where Tredegar House stands was home to the Morgan family, one of the most powerful and influential families in the area.
The earliest record of someone with the name Morgan living at Tredegar is 1402, when there was a Llewellyn Ap Morgan living here.

An aeriel view of Tredegar House

The oldest building that stands today dates from the late 15th century. This was part of a substantial stone manor house that the Morgans built shortly after the succession of the Welshman, Henry Tudor, to the throne of England as Henry VII. The Morgan family had been great supporters of Henry, and were rewarded with lands and titles, which they used to extend their wealth.
They lived quite happily in this stone house until the 1660s - indeed, the house was considered grand enough for King Charles I to visit in 1645. In the 1660s, however, the head of the household at the time - William Morgan (d.1680) - decided to rebuild the house on a very grand scale. The new house was built in red brick, which was a rare building material in South Wales, but one favoured in England. The Morgan family lived in the red brick Restoration mansion until 1951.

click here to explore the interiors of Tredegar House

Other Buildings on the estate

The Stables and Orangery

On the right hand side as one looks at Tredegar House, one can see the Great Stables. The stables were probably built just after the house, and were obviously designed to reflect the style of the House.

The Orangery

At the rear of the stables is the Orangery, which was added to the back of the building in the 1700s. Orangeries were essentially designed to conserve exotic fruits and tender greens during the harsh winter months. During the summer, potted apple, peach and citrus trees would be moved into the Orangery garden.