Tredegar House
RISING from 90 acres of gardens, parkland and a shimmering lake on Newport’s western edge, Tredegar House is a flamboyant red-brick statement from the age of Charles II.
For more than five centuries it was the seat of the powerful Morgan family, later Lords Tredegar, whose fortunes helped shape south-east Wales; today the mansion is Grade I listed and among the finest Restoration houses in Britain.
The building you see was fashioned in the later 17th Century when Sir William Morgan and his wife, Blanche, turned an earlier stone manor into an opulent country house – a rare Welsh essay in brick with confident symmetry and baroque flourishes.
Inside, the story unfolds through gilded state rooms and hard-working service quarters, while outside three walled gardens, sweeping lawns and woodland walks invite lingering.
The Morgans left abundant lore: Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar, rode with the 17th Lancers in the Charge of the Light Brigade and, legend lovingly recalls, his horse Sir Briggs survived and is commemorated in the grounds.
After a stint as a convent school, the estate was bought by the local authority; since 2012 the National Trust has cared for the house and 90 acres under a 50-year partnership lease with Newport City Council, opening more of its stories to visitors and community projects.
Its photogenic exterior regularly moonlights on screen – Doctor Who fans may recognise those warm brick façades – but Tredegar’s real magic lies in how vividly it evokes the glamour, industry and eccentricity of Welsh country-house life.