Wenvoe Castle

Wenvoe Castle stands in the Vale of Glamorgan between Barry and Wenvoe as a former castle and country estate. The estate now forms the Wenvoe Castle Golf Club, with Goldsland on its western boundary. The site has medieval roots, recorded as belonging to the De Sully, le Fleming and Malefaunt families. A castle at Wenvoe was first mentioned in the late 1530s in Leland’s Itinerary. After passing through several families, it was sold to coal magnate Peter Birt in 1774. Architect Robert Adam designed a new castle for Birt between 1776 and 1777, his only work in Wales. The estate passed to the Jenner family in 1823–24, who played a prominent role in 19th-century Glamorganshire. Robert Francis Jenner served as High Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1827, and the family gave their name to Jenner Park in Barry. A fire in 1910 destroyed much of the building, but it was restored in 1928 to retain its Georgian appearance. The Wenvoe Castle Golf Club was established in 1936 by Hugh Jenner, the manor’s owner. The castle’s gardens and park are listed as Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. Visitors to Wenvoe Castle find the restored Georgian building now serving as the golf club’s clubhouse. The surrounding gardens and parkland offer a historic setting for the golf course. The Grade II-listed landscape includes features recognised for their special historic interest. The clubhouse stands as a reminder of the estate’s past, with Adam’s design still visible despite the 1910 fire. The golf course itself provides a scenic route through the former estate’s grounds. The combination of history and sport makes Wenvoe Castle a notable place in the Vale of Glamorgan.