Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Lead Cistern in the east forecourt of St Fagans Castle
St. Fagans, Cardiff, Wales
A Grade II* listed building in Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans, Cardiff, St. Fagans, designated on 6 October 1977.
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II*
- Broad class
- Religious, Ritual and Funerary
- Date of designation
- 6 October 1977
- Locality
- Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans
- Town
- Cardiff
- Community
- St. Fagans
- Unitary authority
- Cardiff
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.48643, -3.26855
- Cadw reference
- 13885
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1865 · England and Wales. England No. 6. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1898 · 263 Cardiff (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1913 · Sheet 110. Cardiff & Mouth of the Severn. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Location
One of the associated structures in the gardens of St Fagans Castle and part of the Museum of Welsh Life.
History
The cistern bears the date 1620 and the arms of Sir Edward Lewis. It was probably brought from The Van, Caerphilly, the Lewis family seat, and re-sited here c1870. Sir Edward Lewis had himself bought St. Fagans Castle in 1616 and had laid out the formal gardens. It is not known exactly when the cistern was placed in position but it is not shown on the1855 plan and is known to have been in place in 1888.
Exterior
Large circular lead cistern about 2m in diameter and 1.3m in height. The outer face of the cistern has a double row of panels nearly all of which have a framework of arcading and are decorated with a floriated pattern. It is one of the earliest circular cisterns of this type still surviving.
Reason for designation
Included and highly graded as a rare and important early C17 lead cistern and as one of the structures associated with the gardens and estate of St. Fagans Castle.
Nearby in the register
- South Wall of Forecourt at St Fagans CastleDomesticunder 1 mi
- St Fagans CastleEducationunder 1 mi
- South Wall of the Entrance Garden separating it from the Stable Court at St Fagans CastleDomesticunder 1 mi
- Curtain Walls of St Fagans Castle with attached Bothies in the Service YardDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.