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Gwydir Castle
Gwydir Castle

Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and 1. The River Conwy ( Welsh: Afon Conwy) is a River in north Wales. Market town or market right is a legal term originating in the Medieval period for a European settlement that has the right to hold Markets 5 miles to the south of the village of Trefriw, in Conwy county borough, North Wales. Trefriw (pronounced ˈtrɛvrɨu approximately "TREV-ryoo" is a Village in Conwy county borough, Wales. Geography It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. The former castle, now a fine manor house, is located on the edge of the floodplain of the river Conwy, and on its western side are the now-forested slopes of Gwydir Forest. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. A manor house or fortified manor-house is a Country house, which has historically formed the administrative centre of a manor (see Manorialism The River Conwy ( Welsh: Afon Conwy) is a River in north Wales. Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.

Contents

History

There has been a fortification of some sort on the site since AD 600, and in the Dark Ages a large number of skirmishes were fought in this area between the various rival Welsh princes and their forces, the most significant being in 610 and 954. This article is about the phrase "Dark Age(s" as a characterization of the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe

Gwydir became the ancestral home of the powerful Wynn family, descended from the Kings of Gwynedd, and one of the most significant families of North Wales during the Tudor and Stuart periods. Gwynedd (pr) is one of several Welsh Successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain. Social and economic revolution Following the Black Death Plagues and the agricultural depression of the late 14th century population growth

By the 14th century some form of manorial house had evolved, and the first recorded owner was Howell ap Coetmore, who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was a commander of longbowmen under Edward, the Black Prince at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. This article is about the medieval system "Manors" redirects here The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior To see other senses of this word see Longbow (disambiguation. Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376 popularly known as The Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward

Following the Wars of the Roses the castle was rebuilt by Meredith ap Jevan ap Robert, the founder of the Wynn dynasty. The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York The house incorporated re-used mediaeval material from the dissolved Abbey of Maenan. The square turret at the rear of the Solar Tower contains a spiral staircase taken from the Abbey and many elaborately carved stones can also be seen. The turret was added around 1540 and Sir John Wynn's initials can be seen above the main entrance in the courtyard gatehouse along with the date of 1555. John Wynn may refer to John "Wynn" ap Maredudd, Head of the House of Cunedda 1525–1559 Sir John Wynn 1st Baronet (1553–1627 The surviving buildings date from around the year 1500, and there were alterations and additions in c1540, c1600 and c1828.

Although called a castle, it is a fine example of a Tudor architecture courtyard house or fortified manor house, rather than a traditional castle, such as those built in North Wales by Llywelyn the Great and Edward I. A manor house or fortified manor-house is a Country house, which has historically formed the administrative centre of a manor (see Manorialism Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was born about 1173 the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost

Gwydir was home to Katheryn of Berain. Katheryn of Berain ( Welsh, Catrin o Ferain) (1534– 27 August 1591) sometimes called Mam Cymru ("mother of Wales King Charles is said to have visited Gwydir in 1645 as the guest of Sir Richard Wynn, 2nd Baronet, Treasurer to Queen Henrietta Maria, and Groom of the Royal Bed Chamber. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Sir Richard Wynn 2nd Baronet (1588 &ndash 19 July 1649) was the son of Sir John Wynn 1st Baronet. Henrietta Maria ( 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Princess of France and Queen Consort of England, Scotland

More recently King George V and Queen Mary stayed here as the Duke and Duchess of York, in April 1899. Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes 26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953 was the queen-empress consort of George V of the United Kingdom

The 20th Century

In 1921 the castle was desecrated. The 1640s panelled main dining room was totally stripped, the carved and gilded panelling being bought at auction by William Randolph Hearst, the American press baron. For other people named William Randolph Hearst see William Randolph Hearst (disambiguation William Randolph Hearst I (April 29 1863 &ndash On his death, the panels were inherited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and until recently languished in storage. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, The new owners of Gwydir succeeded in tracing these long lost panels and negotiated with the museum which generously allowed their return to Wales. They have been carefully replaced in their original setting and the restored dining room was recently re-opened in 1998 at a ceremony attended by the Prince of Wales. Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom

In 1922 a fire broke out and gutted the Solar Tower, leaving it roofless. A subsequent fire in the West Wing made the place untenable, and it was abandoned, remaining unoccupied until 1944. In this year it was bought by Arthur Clegg, a retired bank manager, who, together with his wife and son, started a 20 year programme of renovation.

A further period of abandonment followed, when damage was caused by squatters.

The castle is now privately owned by Peter and Judith Welford, who are continuing sensitive restoration with authenticity as the main consideration. The story of this recent restoration (which is being done with the backing of Cadw) is told in Judy Corbett's book "Castles in the Air" [1]. Cadw (to keep is a Welsh government body with the mission to protect conserve and to promote the built heritage of Wales.

The Gardens

The castle is set within a Grade 1 listed, 10-acre garden, which contains some ancient cedars — one of which was planted in 1625 to commemorate the wedding of King Charles I to Queen Henrietta-Maria. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U Cedar ( Cedrus) is a genus of Coniferous Trees in the Plant family Pinaceae. The name Charles I may refer to Kings Charlemagne, Charles I Holy Roman Emperor (742-814 Charles I of England, One yew tree, known as the "Lovers Tree" or "Giant Yew", is estimated to be between 600 and 1000 years old, and therefore pre-dates the castle itself.

The raised terrace contains an imposing Renaissance arch, probably dating from the 1590s. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere

The Old Dutch Garden contains ancient yew topiary and an octagonal fountain. Topiary is the art of creating Sculptures in the medium of clipped Trees, Shrubs and Sub-shrubs The word derives from the Latin

The Royal and Statesman's gardens contain oaks planted during the royal visit of 1899, and in 1911. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin

An Elizabethan causeway called the Chinese Walk runs across the felds to the River Conwy, where the remains of the Gwydir Quay can be seen. The river Conwy is tidal up to this point.

Ghosts

The castle has the reputation for being one of the most haunted houses in Wales, the "Grey Lady" being the most commonly seen, together with the ghost of a monk said to have been trapped in a tunnel leading from the secret room, and Sir John Wynn himself. Many local people will testify to having seen ghosts in the castle.

Gwydir Uchaf Chapel

Gwydir Uchaf Chapel, in the woods above Gwydir Castle, was built in 1673 by Sir Richard Wynn as a family memorial chapel for the Wynns of Gwydir. The simple exterior provides a direct contrast with its beautifully painted ceiling, depicting the Creation, the Trinity and the Last Judgement. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived

This chapel should not be confused with the one adjoining Llanrwst Church, called Gwydir Chapel. (This was built in 1633 by an earlier Sir Richard Wynn, and issaid to have been designed by Inigo Jones. Iñigo Jones ( July 15, 1573 &ndash June 21, 1652) is regarded as the first significant British architect, and the first to bring It has elaborate wood panelling, several family tombs and a stone coffin said to be that of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, moved from Maenan Abbey at the Dissolution. Genealogy and early life Llywelyn was born about 1173 the son of Iorwerth ap Owain and the grandson of Owain Gwynedd, who had been ruler of Gwynedd until his death )

References

(It is acknowledged that some of the above information has been taken from Gwydir Castle's own guide. )

External links

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