A long-running campaign to save one of the only Pageant castles in the UK from risk of collapse has been backed by Natasha Asghar MS.
The South East Wales politician has joined in the ever-growing chorus of calls for action to be taken to stop Ruperra Castle from completely crumbling.
Ruperra Castle, near Lower Machen in Caerphilly, was built in 1626 by Sir Thomas Morgan and has played host to Charles I and the military during WWII as well as being a family home.
A fire gutted the castle in 1941 and despite changing hands in the private market over the years, stands as an unstable ruin.
Natasha Asghar MS this week visited the Castle and met up with Charlotte Rogers and Kay Powell, Trustees from the Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust to find out more about their campaign.
The Trust is working tirelessly to save the Castle with the aim of operating it as a heritage site for the public.
However, they need the help from organisations such as Cadw, the Welsh Government and Caerphilly Council – with an additional barrier being that it is still privately owned.
Charlotte and Kay set out their desires and challenges, as well as giving an in-depth insight into the property’s history as they showed Natasha around the outskirts of the castle.
The pair also gave Natasha an update on the work they are doing to make conservation management plans compulsory for scheduled monuments at risk – just like Ruperra Castle.
A petition, which has already gained more than 3,000 signatures and counting, is set to be handed into the Welsh Parliament later this year.
They are hoping the petition, which Natasha has signed, will reach 10,000 signatures before hitting the deadline of July 18.
The push for action came after figures from Cadw revealed that some 14% of our nationally important scheduled monuments are ‘at risk.’
In Wales, there are currently 4,229 designated scheduled monuments – a status which is supposed to preserve archaeology and buildings for future generations.
The Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust want to see the Welsh Parliament bring forward a requirement that conservation management plans are made compulsory in a bid to avoid neglect and subsequent loss.
Speaking after the visit, Natasha Asghar MS said:
“It is heart-breaking to see such a beautiful castle crumble to the ground and that’s exactly what is happening with some parts of the building already falling down.
“I wholeheartedly support the Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust in their mission to preserve the site for community benefit.
“They have been leading this fight for quite some time and whilst it doesn’t look like the end is in sight yet, they must not give up hope and keep fighting for action.
“I would encourage everyone to sign up to their petition to help sites like Ruperra Castle, and I am very much looking forward to getting stuck in with the Trust.”
The petition can be found here: https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245345
More about the Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust: About us - Ruperra Castle - Castell Rhiw'r Perrai
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Mae ymgyrch hirsefydlog i achub un o'r unig gestyll pasiant yn y DU rhag y risg o ddymchwel wedi derbyn cefnogaeth Natasha Asghar AS.
Mae’r gwleidydd o Dde Ddwyrain Cymru wedi ymuno â’r bonllefau o alwadau i gymryd camau i atal Castell Rhiw’r Perrai rhag dadfeilio’n llwyr.
Adeiladwyd Castell Rhiw'r Perrai, ger Machen Isaf yng Nghaerffili, ym 1626 gan Syr Thomas Morgan a chroesawodd Siarl I a'r fyddin yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd yn ogystal â bod yn gartref teuluol.
Gwnaeth tân ddinistrio’r castell yn 1941 ac er bod y castell wedi newid dwylo yn y farchnad breifat dros y blynyddoedd, mae’n sefyll fel adfail ansefydlog.
Yr wythnos hon gwnaeth Natasha Asghar AS ymweld â’r Castell a chyfarfod â Charlotte Rogers a Kay Powell, Ymddiriedolwyr Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Castell Rhiw’r Perrai i ddarganfod mwy am eu hymgyrch.
Mae’r Ymddiriedolaeth yn gweithio’n ddiflino i achub y Castell gyda’r nod o’i weithredu fel safle treftadaeth i’r cyhoedd.
Fodd bynnag, mae angen cymorth arnynt gan sefydliadau fel Cadw, Llywodraeth Cymru a Chyngor Caerffili – a rhwystr ychwanegol yw ei fod yn dal i fod mewn perchnogaeth breifat.
Nododd Charlotte a Kay eu dyheadau a’u heriau, yn ogystal â rhoi cipolwg manwl ar hanes yr eiddo wrth iddynt ddangos Natasha o amgylch cyrion y castell.
Hefyd, soniodd y ddwy am y gwaith y maent yn ei wneud i sicrhau bod cynlluniau rheoli cadwraeth yn orfodol ar gyfer henebion cofrestredig sydd mewn perygl – yn union fel Castell Rhiw’r Perrai.
Bydd deiseb, sydd eisoes wedi cael dros 3,000 o lofnodion ac yn dal i gyfrif, yn cael ei chyflwyno i Senedd Cymru yn ddiweddarach eleni.
Maen nhw'n gobeithio y bydd y ddeiseb, y mae Natasha wedi’i llofnodi, yn cyrraedd 10,000 o lofnodion cyn cyrraedd y dyddiad cau, sef 18 Gorffennaf.
Daeth yr ymdrech i weithredu ar ôl i ffigurau gan Cadw ddatgelu bod tua 14% o'n henebion cofrestredig o bwysigrwydd cenedlaethol ‘mewn perygl’.
Yng Nghymru, mae 4,229 o henebion cofrestredig dynodedig ar hyn o bryd – statws sydd i fod i warchod archaeoleg ac adeiladau ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol.
Mae Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Castell Rhiw'r Perrai eisiau gweld Senedd Cymru yn cyflwyno gofyniad bod cynlluniau rheoli cadwraeth yn cael eu gwneud yn orfodol mewn ymgais i osgoi esgeulustod a cholled dilynol.
Tra’n siarad ar ôl yr ymweliad, dywedodd Natasha Asghar AS:
“Mae’n dorcalonnus gweld castell mor brydferth yn malurio i’r llawr a dyna’n union beth sy’n digwydd gyda rhai rhannau o’r adeilad eisoes yn cwympo i lawr.
“Rwy’n llwyr gefnogi Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Castell Rhiw’r Perrai yn eu cenhadaeth i warchod y safle er budd y gymuned.
“Maen nhw wedi bod yn arwain y frwydr hon ers cryn amser ac er nad yw’n ymddangos bod y diwedd yn y golwg eto, rhaid iddyn nhw beidio ag anobeithio a pharhau i frwydro dros weithredu.
“Byddwn yn annog pawb i lofnodi eu deiseb i helpu safleoedd fel Castell Rhiw’r Perrai, ac rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weithio gyda’r Ymddiriedolaeth.”
Gallwch weld y ddeiseb yma: https://deisebau.senedd.cymru/deisebau/245345
Mwy o wybodaeth am Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Castell Rhiw'r Perrai: Amdanom ni - Castell Rhiw'r Perrai - Castell Rhiw'r Perrai
