Insole Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Insole Court |
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Listed buildings within Insole Court
Insole Court (Grade II*)
Stable Block (Grade II)
Rock Arch (Grade II)
Ornamental gardens (Grade II*)
Garden House (Grade II)
Terrace Wall (Grade II)
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| Former names | Ely Court, The Court, Llandaff Court |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Gothic revival |
| Location | Llandaff |
| Town or city | Cardiff |
| Country | Wales |
| Opened | 1856 |
| Cost | £10,000 |
| Client | James Harvey Insole |
| Owner | Cardiff Council |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 (3 + basement) |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | W G & E Habershon (1855) George Robinson (1873) Edwin Seward (1875) |
| Other information | |
| Parking | Free onsite parking |
| Official name | Insole Court |
| Designated | 1 February 2022 |
| Reference no. | PGW(Gm)27(CDF) |
| Listing | Grade II* |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name | Insole Court |
| Designated | 26 March 1976 |
| Reference no. | 14127 |
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Insole Court (Welsh: Cwrt Insole) is a beautiful old Victorian Gothic mansion in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It was built for a very wealthy businessman named James Harvey Insole and dates back to 1855.
Today, the mansion and its Stable Yard are looked after by a charity called the Insole Court Trust. They started running the site in 2016. After a lot of work to fix it up, the ground floor of the mansion opened to visitors in September 2017. In 2018, the first floor opened with an exhibition called 'This House is a Stage'. It tells the amazing story of the Insole family.
Insole Court now hosts many daily classes and activities. It also has a nice place to eat called The Potting Shed Café. You can even rent rooms for events. The mansion is free to visit and is open every day.
Contents
The Insole Family Story
The Insole family lived at this site from 1856 until 1938. They were very rich because they owned many coal mines across South Wales. They were also involved in building the Barry Railway Company and the docks, which helped transport coal.
Their growing wealth allowed them to buy land, including a spot in the old city of Llandaff. This land was located between the roads leading to Fairwater and Ely.
Building the Mansion
The first building was designed by W G & E Habershon in 1855 for James Harvey Insole. It was a simple, double-fronted house called Ely Court. There was also a small lodge on Fairwater Road for the family's coachman.
As the Insole family became even richer, the house grew bigger. In the 1870s, James Harvey hired George Robinson and Edwin Seward to change the house. They made it look like the Gothic Revival architecture style, similar to Cardiff Castle.
- A new neo-Gothic tower was added in 1874.
- This tower was like the clock tower at Cardiff Castle.
- The very top of Insole's tower had a special smoking room.
The house was extended again in 1906, when the family was at its wealthiest. James Harvey's son, George Frederick Insole (known as Fred), oversaw these changes.
- Rooms were made larger and covered with wood panels.
- A new guest wing was built for visitors.
- Modern central heating and electricity were put in.
- A large porch for carriages was added.
After World War I, the coal industry in South Wales started to struggle. This was because the Royal Navy began using oil instead of coal. The Insole family's money also started to decline. Fred died in 1917, and his son Claud died in 1918 while serving in France during the war.
The house then went to Eric Insole, who lived there with his mother, Jessy, and sister, Violet.
Insole Court in the 20th Century
In the 1930s, Cardiff Council wanted to build a new road around the city. To make way for Western Avenue, the Council bought the entire 57-acre estate in 1932. They paid £26,250 for it.
The remaining Insole family members were allowed to stay in the house as renters. However, the Council built new housing on much of the estate. Only the mansion and its beautiful gardens were left. As World War II was getting closer, the last of the Insoles, Eric and his mother Jessy, moved out in March 1938.
During World War II, Insole Court became a very important place. It was the main office for Air Raid Wardens in the area. It also housed the Royal Observer Corps and the Auxiliary Fire Service for Cardiff.
After the war, the upper floors of the mansion were turned into flats for council workers. The ground floor became a local library and hosted many adult education classes and community activities.
In 1992, Insole Court house was given a special heritage listing as Grade II*. This means it's a very important historic building. The Stables were listed as Grade II, and the gardens were added to the Welsh Register of Historic Gardens as Grade II*.
Insole Court Today
Even after some repairs in 1995, the property slowly started to fall apart. It was closed in November 2006 because of safety concerns. The Council then did a big restoration of the ground floor, and the house reopened in November 2008.
Insole Court has been used for many classes and groups. Its large gardens are also open to everyone.
The Insole Court Trust received a lot of money to restore and improve Insole Court. They got £2 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £750,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and Welsh Government. This £4 million project started in December 2014.
During the restoration, beautiful patterns and decorations were found on the walls. These were thought to be from the 1870s. New rooms for hire, called 'The Stable Yard', and The Potting Shed Café opened in September 2016.
On September 23, 2016, Cardiff Council gave the Insole Court Trust the responsibility to manage the house. This was the biggest transfer of a community building in Wales at the time.
The mansion officially reopened to the public on July 22, 2017. You can visit the ground floor for free. It has a shop and a Reading Room in what used to be the Smoking Room. The upper floor has a special walk-through experience that tells the Insole family's story. Work to restore other parts of the upper floors is still ongoing.
