Coed-bach

Explorer Tom Ruperra Castle looks as if it ought to have a drawbridge and a villain, but this Caerphilly landmark began as a grand Jacobean house dressed for a pageant. Tom can see why a king found it suitable. He can also see why nobody should try slipping inside now: the castle is a dangerous private ruin. Sir Thomas Morgan built the house in 1626. Charles I stayed for several days in 1645 after defeat at Naseby, seeking support in south Wales. A deer park, gardens and designed views once surrounded the building, with walks leading up towards a hilltop summerhouse. Cadw describes it as an unusual early seventeenth-century mock castle. Its battlements were a statement of taste and status, rather than evidence of a medieval siege. During the Second World War the house was used by troops. A fire in December 1941 gutted it, and the empty walls continued to deteriorate; one tower later collapsed. That is a sad turn for a place built to impress. The local preservation trust works to secure its future and has mapped walks that keep visitors on lawful paths while showing the castle in its wooded setting. You cannot enter the castle, its gardens or outbuildings. Use the trust's public-footpath map for viewpoints from Coed Craig Ruperra and nearby routes, and expect mud after rain. Tom's imaginary key to the gate stays firmly in his pocket. Seen from a safe distance, Ruperra still tells the whole story: a house made to look impregnable, a royal guest, a fierce fire, and people determined that the ruin is remembered.