Heneb
Historic Environment Record
The
following information has been provided under the terms and
conditions of access as detailed on Heneb’s website
www.heneb.org.uk.
Copyright is reserved on all data supplied by the Heneb HER
Charitable Trust. All output resulting from the use of the data must
acknowledge the source as follows:-
Derived
from information held by the Heneb HER Charitable Trust copyright.
The
data below is intended to be used for information and research only
and is not for use as part of a commercial project. If you wish
to use information derived from material held by the Heneb HER
Charitable Trust for publication in printed or multimedia form or to
compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be
obtained in writing. For further information or to arrange a visit to
the HER please send an enquiry
form or email her@heneb.org.uk.
Castell-y-van Mansion
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00694m
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Van
Unitary authority : Caerphilly
NGR : ST1666086848
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL Country house
Status : Listed Building II
Summary :
Post medieval country house, built by the 'Lewis of theVan' family in the 16th century, now mostly a ruin. It possibly fell into disrepair around the beginning of the 18th century, though the exact date is unknown. A small part became used as a farmhouse.
Description :
This old mansion, now for the most part in ruins, but in part later used as a farmhouse, was for a considerable time the principal house of an old Glamorgan family known as Lewis of the Van. Edward Lewis, who was living in 1570, is thought to have built the older part of the house, and his son, Thomas Lewis, who died in 1593, probably built the most important part of the mansion, with either himself or his father enclosing the neighbouring deer park. Building material was taken by Thomas from Caerphilly Castle by lease granted by the Earl of Pembroke. The date of which the house fell into disuse is not known, but it is thought to be around the beginning of the 18th century.
A heritage impact assessment found that the mansion was of region importance as a Tudor mansion, and has great potential to be brought back into use (Davies Sutton Architects 2017)
A photographic condition survey was carried out, focusing on the roof and high level areas, and found many original features still present, despite a 1990s renovation (Davies Sutton Architects 2017)
Sources :
Caple, R.G, Marvell, A.G , 1991 , Gwern-y-Domen Farm, Rudry. Archaeological Study (
© GGAT)
Davies Sutton Architects , 2017 , Photographic Condition Survey Van Mansion Gwern-y-Domen Farm Lane Caerphilly CF83 3RN
Locock, M , 1992 , Van Castle, Phase 1. Archaeological Excavation ( © GGAT)
Ordnance Survey , 1st Edition OS map 6"
03/PM Desc Text///1936-7/Trans Neath Antiq Soc/Vol6 p26;
01/MM Record Card/OS//1959/ST 18 NE 1/;
02/PM Desc Text///1901/Archaeol Cambrensis/pp8-11;
05/PH Oral//Meredith W/1956//;
06/PM Desc Text//RCAHM//1981/Glam Invent/Vol4 part1 pp191-93,198-203
07/PM Plan//RCAHM/1981/Glam Invent/Vol4 part1 pp196-7 No20
04/PH Desc Text//Leland/1536-9/Lelands Itiner in Wales/Vol3 p18;
No20;
GGAT excavation van castle A075, 1992
Events :
E003792 : Gwern-Y-Domen Farm, Rudry (year : 1991)
E003830 : Van Castle, Phase 1 (year : 1992)
E006022 : Land at Gwern y Domen, Caerphilly (year : 2015)
E006508 : Van Mansion, Gwern-y-Domen Farm Lane, Caerphilly (year : 2017)
E006509 : Van Mansion, Gwern-y-Domen Farm Lane, Caerphilly (year : 2017)
E007242 : High Status Settlement in Glamorgan and Gwent (year : 2010)
E008929 : Land South of Van Road, Caerphilly, Gwent (year : 2023)
Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 728m
National Monuments Record NPRN 18638 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/18638/details
Compiled date : 01-10-1977
HTML
file produced from Heneb HER Charitable Trust Ltd. Corner House, 6
Camarthen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, SA19 6AE. Tel. 01558
823121; website: www.heneb.org.uk email:
her@heneb.org.uk.
Registered Charity no. 504616. Data supplied by in partnership with
Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © Heneb HER
Charitable Trust, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025).
February 7, 2026, 3:01 pm
Do you have information to add to the record? Contribute here!
Heneb HER Information Submission Form