WEIRD. WONDERFUL. WALES.

The early 20^th century, however, saw the fortune squandered by the spendthrift—if colourful—Evan Morgan. His biography involves two Popes, a boxing kangaroo, a Russian princess, and a smattering of dark magic. He was also responsible for looking after carrier pigeons during World War II, at which time he blabbed state secrets to girl guides (American readers: equivalent to girl scouts), and was court-martialled as a result … but this is practically dull in comparison to some of the things he got up to.

For example, after converting to Catholicism, Evan held the title of Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape to Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI, but this did not stop his interest in the occult—he also had a “magick room” built somewhere within Tredegar to practice the dark arts. His dabbling in black magic caught the attention of Aleister Crowley—occultist, magician, and possible spy—who was so impressed by Evan’s esoteric knowledge that he nicknamed him Adept of Adepts.

A kangaroo named Somerset—and a whole host of wild animals—were another of Evan’s eccentricities, with the menagerie living both in and around Tredegar House itself. They were often the star attraction at Evan’s lavish house parties, where his best known parlour trick was to have one of his parrots climb up the inside of his trouser leg and stick its head out his fly. As someone who has both lived with a parrot and felt the full force of their beak, I can attest that this was either the very height of bravery or stupidity. I still haven’t decided which.

And the princess? That would be Princess Olga Sergeivna Dolgorouky, his second wife, who fled Russia with her family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Despite the title, she was described as down-to-earth, throwing herself into the war effort during WWII and training as a nurse so she could work in the local hospital. The marriage, however, was an unhappy one and annulled after only four years. When Evan died unexpectedly in 1949 without leaving an heir, the house passed briefly into the hands of his cousin but was sold to a convent and turned into a school before eventually being acquired by the National Trust.

Today, through the efforts of the Trust it is possible to see Tredegar as it looked through the ages. This includes the 17^th century Gilt Room and Brown Room—the former covered in paintings and golden gilding, the latter with oak panels engraved with lions, griffins, and fantastic faces—and bedrooms recreated to invoke the spirit of Evan Morgan’s 1930s lifestyle. While the magick room is long gone, the Best Chamber—a room that provides views over the entire estate—was recently re-opened and showcases the modern history of Tredegar. Perhaps more importantly, the grounds now serve as a public park and there are plans afoot to develop a community garden, continuing Tredegar’s connection with Newport well into the 21^st century.