St. Donat's Castle

Brief history

The first buildings of the castle are believed to be erected in the middle of the XII sentury, although none of them was preserved. In 1300 the castle was rebuilt and became home to the Stradlings family, who lived in St. Donat's for over 400 years. The last male heir died in 1738 and the castle passed to other hands. HOwever a nineteenth century owner, Dr. Nicholl Carne, claimed he could trace his descent from an ancestor who married a daughter of the Stradlings.

There was a little architecture modification done in the XVIII and XIX centuries and the buildings were slowly decaying. In 1901 the castle was bought by Morgan Stuars Williams, who started the restoration and improvements. In 1925 the castle was purchased by William Hearst, the American newspaper tycoon, who was a greate collector of art. He modernised the castle and spent a fortune on the restoration. The most noticable changes were the construction of the Brandestoke Hall and the Library (originally used as the Armory). In 1938 the financial problemes forced Hears to put St. Donat's on sale. During the World War II the castle was an officers training centre. In 1960 the castle was purchased by M. Antonin Besse for the United World College of the Atlantic.