Cefn Mably House

Cefn Mably House stands in open countryside near Cardiff. The Grade II listed mansion began as a small building in the 12th century. Edward Kemeys, High Sheriff of Glamorgan, rebuilt it in the late 16th century in the Tudor style. The east wing was later rebuilt in the Georgian style from 1688. By 1893 it was called one of the finest country seats in Wales. The house passed through the Kemeys Tynte and Tredegar families before becoming a hospital. It served as a tuberculosis sanatorium with 112 patients from 1924. The National Health Service took it over in 1948 and later used it as a geriatric hospital. A serious fire in 1994 left the building derelict. SAVE Britain’s Heritage described the damage in 1998 as vandalism turning the house into a local eyesore. Restoration in the early 2000s turned the house into private apartments. The surrounding gardens are listed at Grade II for their historic interest. They include mature trees and wide lawns laid out over centuries. Visitors walk past the restored mansion and through the gardens. The setting remains peaceful and rural. The house and grounds show layers of Welsh history in one place.