History
St Donat's Castle dates back to the 12th century and had a number of notable owners, including William Randolph Hearst the very successful American magazine mogul. Hearst bought St Donat's Castle in 1925 after seeing photographs of it featured in Country Life magazine. He held many lavish parties at the castle and brought to it many famous visitors including Charlie Chaplin and John F. Kennedy.
Antonin Besse purchased the castle and donated it to the governing body of UWC Atlantic College, which was founded in 1962 by German educationalist Kurt Hahn. His concept being to engage young people from all nations in finding peaceful means to bring together a world divided by political, racial and socio-economic barriers by learning from one another.
The castle continues to be home to UWC Atlantic College and has seen more than 7500 students from over 100 countries pass through its doors. The college has also continued its tradition of famous visitors including HM Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Lady Diana, The Emperor of Japan, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Rhys Ifans and most recently the new Dr Who, Matt Smith!
