St Donat's Castle

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St Donat's Castle

St Donat's Castle is a medieval castle in South Wales, overlooking the Bristol Channel in the village of St Donat's near Llantwit Major, and about 25km west of Cardiff. St.Donat's church lies close to the castle.

The earliest surving parts of the castle were built in the late twelfth century by the de Hawey family. Ownership passed to the Stradling family in 1298 through the marriage of Sir Peter Stradling to Joan de Hawey.

The Stradling family (which included a notable recusant, a well-known antiquary and a Latin poet;an earlier Stradling heiress was also the subject of a particularly hyperbolic lamentation by the Welsh poet Tudur Aled) owned St Donat's Castle until the death of Thomas Stradling in 1738, when ownership of the castle was passed to John Tyrwhitt. Archbishop Ussher resided for a time during the Civil War.

Thereafter the castle fell into a state of disrepair until it was revitalised by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in the late 1920s.

The castle now houses Atlantic College, a private international boarding school founded in 1962 as the first of the ten United World Colleges.

Within the castle grounds lies St Donat's Arts Centre, housed in a 14th century tythe barn which has been converted to a professionally equipped theatre, together with a contrasting new addition of the Glass Room. This is said to offer "stunning views across the sea towards Exmoor to create one of the most inspired and inspiring public buildings in Wales". The centre provides a varied programme of cinema, exhibitions, festivals and live shows.

St. Donat's Castle is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in Wales, and is associated with numerous tales of the supernatural. An exorcism was reportedly performed in the early 20th century, which succeeded in ridding the castle of several eldritch apparitions, including a hag and a mysterious yellow eye that was projected onto the ceilings of several guest rooms.