Insole Court

The Insoles were a prominent Cardiff family who made their fortune from their massive coal empire, which included operating South Wales collieries, and transporting coal to far-flung locations such as the Mediterranean, South America and Southeast Asia.

The business was started by family patriarch George in the 1830s, then consolidated by his son James Harvey Insole. The business continued to expand, leading James to decide to build a family home near the cathedral village of Llandaff.

Completed in 1856, the original property was a modest double fronted family home named Ely House. As the coal industry continued to thrive, the house was extended in the 1870s to become a Gothic revival style mansion. The surrounding farmland was also acquired in the 1880s, and transformed into the family's private ornamental garden. Continued business success led to the house being doubled in size by James' son, George Frederick, in 1906.

Post-World War I, the dwindling demand for coal paralleled the Insole family's declining fortunes. Eventually in 1932, Insole Court and its grounds were sold to the Cardiff Corporation, who built an orbital road (Western Avenue) over the southern part of the estate. The ornamental garden was sold for housing, with many of the streets constructed over it still bearing the Insole name.

During World War II, Insole Court served as the Air Raid Precautions Headquarters, and also housed the Royal Observer Corps and the Auxiliary Fire Service. Post-WWII, the court's many roles included: Traffic Police office, council offices, self-contained flats for local authority employees, teaching facility, public library, and community centre.

The threat of sale by the Cardiff city council in the late 1980s caused locals to form an action group which successfully kept the property designated as a public asset. After the house fell into disrepair, it was closed in 2006, and reopened in 2008 after the city council completed renovation work.

In 2016, the lease was transferred to the Insole Court Trust, a charity set up to oversee the house. After an extensive refurbishment funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the mansion's ground floor reopened to the public in mid 2017. The mansion's wonderfully restored exterior mirrored on the inside, in particular the reading and dining rooms with their exquisite wood panneling.

After much deliberation about Insole Court's future, it now operates not only as a heritage site, but also as an event space and community hub. Hosting a steady rotation of varied events, and with the property's various rooms open to the public to visit and rent, it should ensure that Insole Court remains a centerpiece of Llandaff's community.