St Donat’s Castle

The origins of St Donat’s Castle date back to the late 12th century, when the de Hawey family erected the first parts. Through marriage, ownership passed to the Stradling family in 1298, who held the castle until 1738. After the death of Sir Thomas Stradling, the estate transferred to Sir John Tyrwhitt. During the English Civil War, Archbishop James Ussher temporarily found refuge here. The castle subsequently fell into disrepair until Dr. John Nicholl Carne acquired it in 1862 and undertook initial restorations. Morgan Williams extensively continued these works from 1901 to 1909. American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst bought the castle after seeing photos in a magazine. He invested in its renovation and modernization, bringing electricity to the castle and its surroundings, and hosted parties there with figures such as Charlie Chaplin and John F. Kennedy. Following financial difficulties of the Hearst empire, the castle was put up for sale and used by British and American troops during World War II. After Hearst's death in 1951, Antonin Besse acquired the property in 1960 and handed it over to the trustees of Atlantic College.

St Donat’s Castle is located in St Donats in the Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg) in Wales, United Kingdom, at an elevation of approximately 38 meters above sea level.

Today, St Donat’s Castle houses Atlantic College, an international sixth form college. The grounds also feature the St Donat's Arts Centre, a theatre housed in an extended 14th-century tithe barn, offering views over the sea.