Fonmon Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan is submitting a planning application for an ambitious masterplan that will secure the future and legacy of the estate and facilitate vital maintenance of the Grade I listed castle and grounds.
Fonmon Castle opened as a visitor attraction in 2020 following its purchase by businessman Nigel Ford. Formerly a private home, the castle’s new identity as an attraction is part of Ford’s vision to protect its heritage and longevity by creating diverse income streams driven by sustainable business models.
Since opening to the public, Fonmon Castle has enjoyed steadily increasing visitor numbers, drawn by its growing list of attractions, including a dinosaur park, picturesque gardens, woodland walks, story trails, and a recreation of a medieval village. It also hosts popular events throughout the year, ranging from vintage car shows and concerts to sell-out events at Halloween and Christmas.
The new planning application will allow the expansion of the attraction, providing a much-needed all-weather car parking facility and new guest facilities, such as a restaurant, shop, education centre and exhibition space. The exhibition area will focus on the exciting archaeological discoveries unearthed across the estate, which include a medieval cemetery and a prehistoric settlement.
In addition, the application contains proposals for a new high-quality, sustainable and landscape-led holiday lodge development. The development will deliver a biodiversity net gain with the creation of new habitats while providing connectivity to existing wildlife areas. The development includes a range of lodges, space allocated for touring pitches, and seasonal bell tents.
This new application follows an approved application for new access from the B4265, the technical design for which is currently underway. This will provide new, safe, and appropriate access for the developments proposed in the masterplan.
The new developments across the site will provide additional and varied income streams which will allow continued commitments to rewilding and ecology projects across the wider estate, and a long-term excavation project in conjunction with the archaeology team at the University of Cardiff.
Fonmon Castle’s owner Nigel Ford said:
“We’ve come a very long way since opening to the public in 2020. The last four years have seen hugely significant archaeological finds on site, and we’re excited to be continuing our partnership with Cardiff University so that they can progress their digs next year.
“We’ve been delighted with how the local community has embraced us. It’s been great to partner with local businesses and to do archaeology-based work with local schools, while also collaborating with key partners on important nature conservation initiatives on the estate.
“With growing visitor numbers, it’s now time to look to our next chapter, and this planning application will pave the way to a bright and sustainable future for the castle, its estate, and the people who live and work here. It will improve access, enable people to stay in the heart of the beautiful estate in low-impact lodges, and create more brilliant things for people to enjoy on-site, including an education centre to share the groundbreaking archaeological knowledge that is coming from Fonmon.”
