Editing Raglan Castle (section)

===18th to 21st centuries===
[[File:Raglan Castle (3375041).jpg|Engraving of the state of the castle in 1798|thumb|left|upright=1.0]]

For the first half of the 18th century, the castle continued to deteriorate, with the Somerset family allowing their stewards to quarry stone from the castle for the repair of other estate buildings.<ref>Durant, p.85, cited Hainsworth, p.137.</ref> One particular estate surveyor called Hopkins became known as the "Grand Dilapidator", due to the number of chimneys, window frames and staircases he had removed from the castle.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23>Kenyon (2003), p.23.</ref> [[Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort|Henry Somerset]], the 5th Duke, finally put an end to this practice in 1756, and the castle became a tourist attraction, part of the popular [[Wye Tour]].<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> Seats, fences and bridges were installed, and the first guidebook to the site was published in the early 19th century.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> 

[[File:Ragland castle on porcelain.jpg|thumb]]
The Great Hall was temporarily re-roofed in the 1820s, when the castle was used for a "Grand Entertainment" by the Somersets, and in 1830 [[Jeffrey Wyattville]] was employed to reinstate the Grand Staircase.<ref>Kenyon (2003), p.23; ''[http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=21&NewsId=345. Grand re-opening for Raglan Castle’s ‘Hokey-Cokey’ Staircase]'', Cadw, accessed 18 April 2011.</ref> The Monmouthshire antiquarian [[Joseph Bradney]] recorded a visit to the castle by [[Edward VII]] and [[Alexandra of Denmark|Queen Alexandra]], then [[Prince of Wales|Prince]] and [[Princess of Wales|Princess]] of Wales, in October 1881.<ref name=Bradney1992P31>Bradney (1992), p.31.</ref> In 1938 [[Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort|Henry Somerset]], the 10th Duke, entrusted guardianship of Raglan Castle to the [[First Commissioner of Works|Commissioner of Works]],<ref name=Newman2000P491>Newman, p.491; ''[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/b473fe59-9c35-4351-b393-73c0d376358b BADMINTON MUNIMENTS Volume II Estate and Household]'', The National Archives, accessed 7 February 2017.</ref> and the castle became a permanent tourist attraction.<ref name=Kenyon2003P23/> Today, the castle is classed as a Grade I [[listed building]] and as a [[Scheduled Monument]], administered by [[Cadw]].<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=2101 |desc=Raglan Castle |grade=I |access-date=22 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{NHAW|uid=2342|num=MM005|desc=Raglan Castle|class=SM|access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> Between 2003 and 2007 Cambrian Archaeological Projects led excavations at the castle in advance of a planned new visitor centre.<ref>Smith, pp.123–124.</ref>