This article is based on an analysis of photographs (including 1946, 1954, 1991 and 2001 aerial shots), and maps (including 1839 Michaelstone-y-Fedw tithe, and 1885 OS). Its purpose is to help gain an understanding of past land management, and to highlight the most promising areas for nature conservation effort.
Alex Coxhead, Woodland Manager, Ruperra Conservation Trust. October 2006.
[Alex intends to expand the last section, i.e., exploring the potential that some areas have for conservation work or creating accessible routes.]
[Most of the pictures have been scaled-down to fit the page. If your mouse-pointer changes to the "link" pointer when it's on the picture you can download the larger version by clicking on it.]
Introduction
In the sixteenth century, Thomas Morgan, a younger son of one of the Morgan family of Machen, by marrying into the wealthy Lewis family of Ruperra, acquired the Ruperra Estate and built Ruperra Castle on the site of a medieval house. From then until the estate was sold in 1956, the Morgan family used Coed Craig Ruperra for hunting and shooting, as well as managing the woodland for commercial purposes, and they maintained a team of estate staff, including woodsmen. (A list of subscribers to a wedding anniversary presentation to Ruperra Head Gardener Angus Mckinnon in July 1932, presented by staff of Tredegar Estates, features a list of sixteen ‘Ruperra Woodsmen’. (ref. 1, pages 82 - 3)) Coed Craig Ruperra was referred to as ‘Graig Wood’ in 1775, as ‘Ruperra Graig’ in 1839, but was ‘Coed Craig Ruperra’ on the Ordnance Survey map of 1885 (surveyed in 1879).
From time to time the land-owners added landscape features according to current fashion, including to the part of the wood adjacent to the castle, where the planting formed a backdrop to the once landscaped gardens of the castle (ref. 1, page 92). The evidence is that most of Coed Craig Ruperra is believed to have consisted of managed broadleaved woodland, existing from centuries unknown, lasting until the first world war. How the broadleaved woodland was specifically managed is not yet known; it is likely that information pertaining to ‘Graig Wood’ estate management exists in the Tredegar Estate records, stored at the National Library, Aberystwyth.
The broadleaved woodland stand is likely to have consisted primarily of native ‘hardwood’ tree species such as oak and ash, with an understorey of hazel, holly and other native shrubs, and probably included ‘naturalised aliens’ such as sweet chestnut, sycamore and beech. During the later nineteenth and early twentieth century some fashionable exotic trees (mainly coniferous trees and shrubs such as Scots pine, cedar, rhododendron, cherry laurel and buddleia) may have been planted, as part of new landscaping (ref. 1, pages 92 - 93), although there is not much evidence of this on the site itself; evidence may have been permanently destroyed when the bulk of the site was clear-felled in the 1920s prior to coniferisation.
Apart from classic woodland estate management assumed to have taken place up to the 1930s, including the maintenance, as part of the management regime, of historical rides and paths within the woodland, the only other evidence that the site had an element of being ‘landscaped’ (depending on your definition of ‘landscaping’) in the past are:
- the Michaelstone-y-Fedw tithe map of 1839 shows denser vegetation on both slopes surrounding the motte, which suggests that cherry laurel, currently infesting the hill fort, is probably a historical remnant of planting before the 1840s;
- photographs of early twentieth century planting opposite the castle, demonstrate that this sector had an element of formal planting just prior to world war one;
- remnant stands of daffodils and snowdrops still extant on the site are probably from historical planting;
- cherry laurel and rhododendron present on the site away from Castle Drive and the motte slopes may be remnant from ad hoc planting to create cover for hunting and shooting of pheasants, foxes etc., but if exotic shrubs such as cherry laurel or rhododendron were planted on the motte slopes before the 1840s (which is what the 1839 tithe map suggests) then they would probably have been self-seeding throughout the site within a few years.
It is possible that some softwood species such as spruce were also planted throughout the broadleaved stand of Coed Craig Ruperra, during the second half of the nineteenth century, although there is no evidence for this - the 1885 map shows the whole site as broadleaved woodland, without a conifer component. A plan of the original formal planting of ‘exotic’ species as a backdrop to the castle, has not surfaced during research as yet, but hopefully exists somewhere in the Tredegar Archives kept in the National Library. Pat Moseley et al. collected Kath Ayres of Draethen's memory of the cutting, by chapel users from Tirzah Chapel in Michaelstone-y-Fedw, of flowering rhododendron from ‘the whole of that bank to the north of Ruperra Drive’ for the Whit Tuesday celebrations. (ref. 1, page 44). The evidence so far is that these rhododendrons were probably planted just prior to world war one.
The Morgans appear to have managed aspects of Coed Craig Ruperra commercially; e.g. according to the diary of William Beechey, in January 1901 ‘Jim Spring and boy (were) cutting wood in the Graig.’ (ref. 1, page 48) Other collected reminiscences include ‘the fine beech trees, the remains of which can be seen to the north of the path along the ridge leading up to the mound, were regularly coppiced to provide charcoal for local iron works.’ (ref 1, page 93). This statement is probably not entirely correct. Beech is unusual in being a ‘hardwood’ tree species that usually does not coppice well, i.e. grow back multi-stemmed from the cut stump, when it is felled (ref. 5, page 157). Some mature beech trees were probably cut down for this purpose, and the remaining beech trees of this area are likely to be either remaining mature specimens, or were replanted, or have naturally regenerated from seed generating from mature trees of the area, or result from a mixture of these factors.
After world war one, there was a national drive to replenish the stocks of wood used up in the war effort, and many woodland owners felled their native woodland and replaced them with faster-growing and more lucrative conifers. It is no surprise that Coed Craig Ruperra succumbed early to conifer conversion - on the board of the new Forestry Commission's Committee for Wales (set up by 1919's Forestry Act) were the Rt. Hon. The Lord Tredegar, Courtenay Morgan, and also John I Storrar, later to become an agent for Tredegar from 1938 to 1944 (ref. 1, page 93).
Local resident Doris Guthan remembered Ruperra woodland rides (unfortunately there's not a date reference) and described them to be ‘like lawns, all grassed over.’ She had a memory of one woodland ride going from Tresguthan (a house on Draethen Road) into the woods and over to the castle. She referred to the presence of ‘a lot of woodsmen working in the woods keeping them all tidy and watching out for fires’ and remembered banks of snowdrops and daffodils (ref. 1, page 95). The area that Doris was referring to is likely to be the northernmost section (referred to in this as Compartment B), because the rest of the woodland had been clear-felled during the 1920s. The 1954 aerial photograph shows that Compartment B remained as broad-leaved woodland until at least the later 1950s. Doris's memory suggests that Ruperra Castle estate workers kept up a management regime in this section of the estate until its final demise, but the 1954 aerial photograph does not support this, and Doris's memory of grassy rides and active woodsmen appears to stem from the 1930s or before.
Another local resident Roy Hawkins remembered that Ruperra estate workers would not tolerate ‘strangers’ in the woodland, and that it was easy to walk between the trees, with some huge oak and beech trees present (ref. 1, page 96). In the 1950s Jim Clifford would go from Michaelstone with his father to cut and bundle ‘bean sticks’ in Coed Ruperra (ref. 1, page 68). It would be of interest to know in which area of the wood they did this. Bean sticks are usually the tall straight stems resulting from coppicing deciduous woodland understorey, particularly hazel.
Frank Baumer was at Ruperra Castle during the second world war and recalled that ‘all around the castle were beautiful rhododendron bushes and paths like lawns in the woods. The lovely grass drive up to the summerhouse was about twelve foot wide. Between the path and the bushes on the verge of the bank were daffodils and narcissi.’ (ref. 3, page 66). The aerial photograph of a few years later (1954) shows that the route up to the upper summerhouse along the ridge was a well defined linear track through a monoculture of conifers.
The dark areas around the coniferised compartments on the photograph are shadows from the densely packed conifers on either side of the regimented channels through the plantation. When Mr Baumer walked up the lovely grass drive to the summerhouse during the early 1940s, he would undoubtedly have been surrounded on both sides by thickets of dense coniferous plantation of some fifteen years growth.
Active management of Coed Craig Ruperra by the Morgan family probably ceased altogether after 1935, and the family abandoned the castle after the second world war. The estate was sold in 1956, and more conifer planting took place (ref. 1, page 99). This reference to more conifer planting was presumably on the areas referred to as Compartments A and B.
Most of the site was clear-felled in 1996 - 7.
Compartment A - three pastures
Both the 1839 tithe and 1885 OS maps, combined with 20th century aerial photos, show that this sector was three pastures which existed until the 1950s. There were no tracks marked in 1839, but by 1885 a track is clearly marked crossing the fields from Tre'sguthan (known in 1839 as Drysgedin, and occupied by a John Davies, who probably grazed the land). In those days the track led in a straight route to meet today's bridle path through the mature conifers, where the path angles down to eventually enter the road by Spout Cottage. (This is hard evidence that recently rediscovered walled culverts along this route were built between 1839 and 1885). This is probably the route referred to earlier, a memory of local resident Doris Guthan.
By 1946 the field boundaries of this area had not changed. The ‘wiggly’ westernmost field boundary was probably the eastern brook running towards Spout Cottage, which is still present today of course. 1946 photographic evidence suggests the westernmost field was beginning to scrub up a little, but management (almost certainly by grazing and cutting) seemed to have only ceased within the last few years of the photograph being taken, perhaps at the start of world war two (1939). The paths seen on the 1885 map are not discernible on the 1946 photograph. In 1954 the eastern field seems more distinct than the other two; this is maybe because, through agricultural management over the centuries, it had developed a high component of heather, or had an early cut that year or something - we don't know. The field boundaries are quite clear in the 1954 photograph, and the 1885 footpath across the field is clearly visible. (There is also a large localised blob in the centre of this compartment in the 1954 photograph, which might be a pond, or more likely just a photo blemish!)
By 1991, sadly these fields were now lost to planted conifers (probably planted during the late 1950s). There is a slightly more open area in the southern part of this section visible in the 1991 photograph, on the cusp of the old footpath, which is also a good viewing point, and this area should be a priority for nature conservation work. By 2001 the conifers had been felled, with little remaining vegetation to be seen. The old field boundaries are not obvious in aerial photographs at this time. However the heather area of the east field was still grassy in 2001 photographs, relatively devoid of bracken, and it is definitely worth the effort of continuing to restore this area of old pasture, because the pasture was only under conifers for about 30 - 40 years and will hopefully still hold recoverable wildlife value. Heather seeds within soils can remain viable for sixty years and beyond (ref. 7, page 27). Ideally the long term aim could be to join up the ‘viewing area’ on the old footpath, with the heather area currently under restoration, and then manage it by cutting or grazing.
Compartment B - Ruperra's last stand (of broadleaved woodland ... )
Map and photographic evidence shows that in 1946 the whole of the ‘B’ sector was broadleaved woodland, with plenty of spaces between trees, the remains of the original ancient woodland that just thirty years before had covered the whole site, and was probably spectacular! The 1885 routes can't be seen in the 1946 photograph, but the larger of the two brooks is quite defined. By 1954 there was not much change to the broadleaved woodland stand, and the 1885 routes are clearly discernible in the aerial photograph.
By 1991 the whole ‘B’ sector was now a well-established conifer monoculture (almost certainly planted as the same time as the adjacent compartment A, in the late 1950s when the estate was sold), with perhaps a little remnant of the previous broadleaved woodland habitat remaining at the roadside opposite Spout cottage. By 2001 the southernmost conifers had been cleared, leaving a few broadleaved trees. There was a large burn of the remaining brash and bracken in 2001 in the southern part of this section, alongside the old track. So this compartment only had conifers on it for about thirty or forty years, and may retain some ancient woodland elements.
A stand of larch is now adjacent to compartment A. Unlike most coniferous crops, larch is a deciduous species, though the resultant thick litter effectively mulches the ground around, and pretty much destroys any remaining floral interest. The remaining sector is a gloomy stand of dense mature conifers, which will be thinned in late 2006. Woodland historian Oliver Rackham considered that nearly all woods more than 100 years old (he was writing in 1975, revised in 1990) have some kind of delineating earthwork around the edge, typically consisting of a bank and ditch, the bank being on the wood side (ref. 4, page 114). The most prominent woodland boundary bank and ditch on Coed Craig Ruperra that I am currently aware of, borders the four fields near the Hollybush pub, Draethen village, although there are probably others to be looked for. The Draethen bank and ditch is of unknown age, but from 1839 tithe map evidence until today the field shapes remain unchanged, so the boundary bank is perhaps much older than this. This is another interesting historical feature of Coed Craig Ruperra that would benefit from research.
The hill-fort and motte
The 1839 tithe map shows several features of interest around the hill fort and motte area. As well as showing that the hill fort sides supported denser vegetation, suggesting ‘formal’ planting prior to the 1840s, the tithe map shows that, on the main ridge path leading to the motte and upper summerhouse, a path split off from the main path and seems to run along the northern hill fort ramparts, which can be seen so graphically in the 2001 aerial shots. This path skirted the hill fort, crossed the ‘ridge’ route, and went down past the lower summerhouse (which is on the 1839 tithe map), and back to the castle.
Woodland opposite Ruperra Castle, planted before world war one
There is a thick strip of woodland, with a number of ‘exotic’ trees and shrubs alongside Castle Drive opposite Ruperra Castle. This stand which, somewhat surprisingly, has high wildlife value and supports protected mammals, viz. dormice, as well as both greater and lesser horseshoe bats associated with the Castle buildings, is included in the Register of Parks and Gardens in Wales [(PGW (Gm) 17 (CAE)]. The register is advisory only and the designation has no statutory powers. The stated aim of Cadw in producing the register is ‘to provide information on historic parks and gardens in order to aid their protection and conservation. It is hoped that this information will help owners, local planning authorities, developers, statutory bodies, and all who are concerned with the protection of this integral part of the national heritage, to make informed decisions about sites on the register’ (ref 6, introductory notes).
In fact the register contains hardly any information about the history and development of this woodland stand, formally planted just before world war one, the backdrop to the castle itself. All the information from the register pertaining to the woodland backdrop is as follows:
The castle gardens were first laid out in the 1640s (ref 6, page 31). Whether this included the Coed Craig Ruperra section is not clear. Another phase of castle gardens landscaping came at the end of the eighteenth century, which ‘retained the wooded backdrop’ (ref. 6, page 33). An engraving after JP Neale (1818) shows the house backed by woodland (ref 6, page 33). Neither of these references hint as to what kind of woodland made up the backdrop, but it is assumed that it was ancient semi-natural broadleaved.
Work on transforming the northern part of the castle gardens began in 1909, when Commander Courtenay Morgan inherited Ruperra. The area (of the northern part of the castle gardens) was transformed between 1909 and 1913 into a magnificent, formal, terraced Edwardian garden, with the glasshouse as its centrepiece. The glasshouse was built in 1912 - 1913. The gardens had fine yew hedges, with topiary, flanking formal paths and steps which divided the area into rectilinear compartments. The formal gardens are now long gone except for the terraces and glasshouse. The castle was sold in 1935, and the gardens were abandoned and went wild (ref. 6, page 36).
This sketch map of 1785 shows Coed Craig Ruperra as wooded, with five hatched, roughly rectangular areas within the woodland, leading off Castle Drive (marked here as Caerphilly Road). These are the ‘lights’ which were first featured on an estate survey of 1764, which were, at that time, apparently aligned with castle garden compartments (ref. 6, page 35). The map clearly shows that the ‘lights’ extended down to the roadside in 1785, and they have absolutely no relation to the existing historical planted remains of this sector, which remain from formal landscaping from between 1909 and 1913.
This photograph shows that the woodland backdrop was not formally landscaped at that time.
The photograph is from a postcard dated July 1918, but the evidence is that the photograph was probably taken before world war one. This appears to show the woodland stand at this time consisted of dense mature broadleaved, and had not yet been ‘formalised’.
This photograph shows formal planting in the woodland above the gardens. Note especially the two cone-shaped conifers in the Ruperra woodland, in line with the path and steps leading to the centre of the glasshouse. The broadleaved woodland behind the recently planted area shows that this was taken before the bulk of the site was coniferised, so the photograph was definitely taken before the mid 1920s. But it is obviously some years after 1912 - 13, when the glasshouse was constructed. Crucially, the formal gardens of the castle look well established, so a stab at when the photograph was taken would be about 1920 - 1922.
This was taken only a couple of years after the previous photograph, and shows that Coed Craig Ruperra had been recently clear-felled and replanted, and that the formal planting of the castle backdrop (including regenerating broadleaved trees left within the formal planting?), was becoming established.
This photograph, taken around the same time as the previous one, shows Coed Craig Ruperra as now mostly clear-felled, but with mature broadleaf woodland still standing in the southwest sector. The woodland condition, and the lack of ornamental conifers in front of the stable block building, suggests this was taken in the early 1920s, just after Coed Craig Ruperra was clear felled and coniferised.
The clear-felled and formally planted woodland is more mature than in the previous photograph of the stable block. The ornamental conifers in front of the stable block also shows that this photograph was taken several years later than the previous one, possibly when the castle estate was on the market in 1935.
This photograph shows that most of Coed Craig Ruperra is now blanketed with well established coniferous monoculture. However, the land nearest the castle, to the point of the eastern gateway set in the garden wall which leads to the historical path going to the lower summerhouse, has had the previous broadleaved trees felled, also felling the scrubby understorey. This area has been formally planted and is now becoming well established. The broadleaved trees and understorey appear to have not been killed or grubbed out, but would have mostly regenerated as coppice, which may help explain why this sector has particularly important nature conservation features today. If the broadleaved trees were felled and regenerated as multi-stemmed coppice, just prior to world war one, the evidence should be there to see. This is the next stage in the detective work.
The 1954 aerial photograph confirms that the woodland from the castle to the motte is mainly coniferised, but shows that the woodland strip directly opposite the castle was not felled and planted with conifers.
By 2001 the westernmost sector towards West Lodge has been cleared in some way, but green scrub remains - it is mysterious, it almost looks as if it as planted in the 1990s, or was cleared some time before the rest of the site (hence now green vegetation) and is regenerating with birch etc. which is the evidence on the ground today.
Other areas especially worthy of conservation effort at Coed Craig Ruperra
Legend:
- Red - paths existing in 1839, 1885 and 2006 (high conservation potential)
- Yellow - paths existing in 1885 and 2006 (high conservation potential)
- Light green - paths existing in 1839 but not 2006 (high conservation potential)
- Dark green - paths existing in 1885 but not 2006(high conservation potential)
- Purple - paths existing in 2006 but not much earlier
- Brown shaded area - broadleaved woodland until late 1950s
- Orange - current heather restoration area and disabled access project route
- Light blue - boundary of castle park and gardens land
- Turquoise - boundary of land owned by Ruperra Conservation Trust
From the viewpoint of nature conservation, the site was absolutely hammered by the devastating coniferous planting of the 1920s. However there are areas that are hopefully likely to have retained elements of desirable biodiversity. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of the site is the whole length of footpath number one, a.k.a. the Ridgeway Footpath, which is a well known ancient track. Another section, that has less obvious potential on the ground, but stands out on the map, is the ancient route a stretch of which runs along the south eastern boundary of compartment B, the area that was broadleaved woodland until the late 1950s. Then there's the heather stand on the old pastures, the path that runs from there up to the bridle path which might be an excellent route for the extended disabled access path, or the path that goes off from the castle to the north west that was a well travelled ride in 1839, etc, etc …
I hope that the map and information above is of interest and especially the map not too confusing! It has generated much food for thought for me at least, and I hope the Trust will find it a useful management tool for the future.
References
1. Moseley, Pat et al. 2005. Serving under Ruperra 1900 - 1939. A collection of memories.Privately published (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Awards for All’ scheme).
2. Friend, Tony, 1985. Lord Tredegar's Ruperra Castle. Newport Local History Society / Ruperra Conservation Trust.
3. Moseley, Pat, 2001. Ruperra Castle - War and Flames 1939 - 46. Ruperra Conservation Trust.
4. Rackham, Oliver, 1990. Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape. Phoenix.
5. Peterken, George, 1993. Woodland Conservation and Management. Chapman and Hall.
6. Cadw, 2000. Register of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of special Historic Interest in Wales.ICOMOS UK.
7. Symes, Nigel and Day, John. 2003. A practical guide to the restoration and management of lowland heathland. RSPB