Built / Designed For: John Zepheniah Holwell
House & Family History: Castle Hall was built in the late 18th century for John Zepheniah Holwell, a Hindu scholar and former governor of Bengal who was a survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta. There has been some speculation that Holwell built Castle Hall in a Hindu style, which, if true, would make it the earliest in Britain in that style. This remains conjecture because the only physical evidence of what the house looked like in its first incarnation are photographs and drawings made after it was rebuilt by R.F Greville, Jr. in in the mid-19th century in an Italian Renaissance style. One of the most unusual owners of Castle Hill was Benjamin Rotch, a Nantucket Quaker who owned a fleet of whaling ships, who purchased the house in 1804. Between 1910 and 1917 Castle Hall was owned by Benedictine nuns and known as St. Brides Abbey. After the nuns decamped, the house became an observatory. It was demolished in 1935.
Title: Lost Houses of Wales, The
Author: Lloyd, Thomas
Year Published: 1989
Reference: pg. 68
Publisher: London: SAVE Britain's Heritage
ISBN: 0905978277
Book Type: Softback
House Listed: Demolished
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: John Zepheniah Holwell, 18th century. Benjamin Rotch, 1804-19 R.F. Greville, Jr., mid-19th century.
Current Ownership Type: Demolished
Primary Current Ownership Use: Demolished
House Open to Public: No
Historic Houses Member: No