Tredegar House
Two miles from the centre of Newport stands Tredegar House, one of the architectural wonders of Wales. It was the stately home of the Morgan family, who played an important part in developing the fortunes of the Newport area. They lived magnificently at Tredegar House for over 500 years, their estates stretching through Monmouth, Glamorgan , and the Brecon Beacons. The town's favourite member of the Morgan family was Godfrey. He donated land generously to establish Newport's health and education facilities. Godfrey Morgan was a survivor of the horrors of war, having taken part in the ill-fated charge of the Light Brigade on October 25, 1854, during the Crimean War. The bloody battle was made famous by Lord Tennyson's poem soon after. Godfrey was so grateful to have survived the carnage that when his horse, named Sir Briggs, finally died, he had him buried in the garden at Tredegar House.
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In 1974 a bright new chapter began for the former home of the Morgans when Newport Borough Council bought Tredegar House and 90 acres of parkland. Great Britain's grandest council house was recently voted one of the top tourist attractions in the country.
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No records survive to identify the designer or builder of Tredegar House, but much of the external embellishment does seem to be after the style of Inigo Jones. Internally, the rooms have been restored as far as possible to an original condition, and furnished with the aid of old photographs and inventories. Although the majority of contents were scattered at the sale of the house, some have since been recovered, and returned to their rightful place in the house. The rare 'Tredegar Salt', a silver salt cellar inscribed with the Morgan family crest, was discovered at auction a few years ago and purchased for a staggering sum in order to be reinstated in the dining room.
Highly informative, and sometimes amusing, the guided tours of the house offer the visitor an opportunity to explore the architectural delights of Tredegar, take in the family history, and learn a little about some of the bizarre family traits. There was Catherine who, believing she was a bird, made numerous nests and even some big enough for her to sit in., and Evan who kept a menagerie of strange animals, and had a macabre interest in black magic. In the grounds are several old barns and outbuildings from various times, and a very 'upmarket' stable block that was quite clearly modelled on the house. A separate orangery is approached through a walled garden containing a stunning 18th century parterre created from an assortment of gravel, crushed shells and grass.
