Ruperra Castle

A ruined large 3-storey house, roughly square in plan, with 5-bay elevations between round towers at the angles. The walls are roughcast with brick and stone behind, and have embattled parapets. The entrance front is on the S side and has 3-light stepped mullioned windows (decreasing in height in the upper storeys) with hood moulds (forming a continuous string course in the middle storey) and a central 2-storey porch in ashlar. The porch is richly detailed in Bath stone, although the relief work is now eroded. The main doorway is round-headed and flanked by shell-headed niches, and surmounted by shallow strapwork, friezes and cornice. The cornice is carried up to form broken pediments to the L and R over heraldic achievements (the arms of the Earls of Pembroke to the L and the Morgans to the R), beyond which are damaged putti on corbels. Centrally-placed above the cornice is an aedicule with Ionic columns, a broken pediment and acroteria, and a Royal Arms (probably Charles I). In the upper storey is a stepped mullioned window similar to the main wall, and an open balustrade.

The towers have 2-light mullioned windows with hood moulds continuing as string courses. The SE tower partly collapsed in 1982. The E and W elevations have similar stepped mullioned windows to the S wall except that there are 2 bays of smaller 2-light windows between the central and outer bays. The E elevation has a porch added c1909. The W elevation has a porch also added c1909 and now overgrown, and windows on 4 storeys, as does the N elevation, which has a central bay of 3-light windows flanked by bays 2 bays of 2-light windows and a basement doorway on its E side.

Not inspected at time of survey. Said by RCAHM Wales to retain few early features. The hall was situated on the first floor E of the porch, and 2 dressed stone doorways survive at this level and were part of the screens passage. In the lower storey. A kitchen on the N side has a fireplace with moulded jambs and segmental head, and 2 doorways with similar mouldings lead to an inner kitchen and pantry.