Thanks to National Lottery players, and a grant of over £2million, the dilapidated Victorian mansion and its outbuildings has undergone extensive refurbishment, ensuring it could be saved for future generations to use and enjoy.

The building plays a key role as a local community facility and is home to a diverse range of groups including art classes, dancing and yoga. 

The first stage of the building’s redevelopment is now complete, although full restoration is not expected to be finished for a couple of years to come.

The story of a family

The Grade II listed mansion was built by prominent south Wales coal-shippers and pit-owners the Insoles in 1856, a sign of their success at the time, but the family story mirrors Cardiff’s rise and decline during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. 

As coal use declined following the First World War, so did the family’s fortune. In 1932 Cardiff Corporation acquired the estate, turning the ornamental park into housing and creating new streets named after the Insoles, with the last of the family members leaving in 1938.

Once complete, the repaired building will provide an important link to the Llandaff community’s roots, while – importantly – being adapted so it can continue to meet the needs of today. 

The Potting Shed café at Insole Court is open seven days a week – why not pop along for a cuppa if you’re out and about in the Welsh capital this winter and see the development for yourself?

Find out more on the Insole Court website.