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Wales |
| Anglesey
and Snowdonia |
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Historic
Houses
click
on a thumbnail image to see the photo full-sized
Aberconwy
House
Castle St., Conwy, Caernarfonshire, on the A55. National Trust. Tel.
01492 592246. Open end March to end Oct, daily except Tues from 11-5.
AV presentation and shop.
This medieval merchant's house features an exhibition on life in Conwy
from Roman times to the present.
Cochwillan
Old Hall
On A55 at Tal y Bont near Bangor, Gwynedd. Tel. 01248 364608 for
appointment to view.
Considered one of the best examples of an Welsh medieval estate centre,
it survives almost unaltered. The late 15th century hall house has a
hammer beam roof. Only the hall, solar, and buttery are on view.
Gwydir
Castle 
On A5106, ½ mile west of Llanrwst, Gwynedd. Open March-end Oct, daily,
10-5pm.
Built c1500 by the Wynn family with 17th and 19th century additions.
This is a Tudor courtyard house sitting in a Grade 1 listed garden.
There is a mid 17th century panelled dining room. It is famous for its
peacocks and ghosts and is known as one of the most haunted houses in
Wales.
Penrhyn
Castle
One mile (1.6km) east of Bangor at Llandegai on A5122. Tel. 01248
353084. National Trust property. Open: castle 3rd week March to end
first week Nov, daily except Tues., 12-5 except July and Aug, 11-5.
Penrhyn Castle, which occupies one acre (.4ha) has curtain walls, four
towers and a massive keep. The main rooms are done in the same style
as the exterior. There is a grand hall, library and drawing room. A
grand staircase has carvings of heads and human hands. An ebony room
shows off furniture made of real ebony. A collection of Old Masters
paintings is part of the castle's treasures. The house even includes
a slate bed. An Industrial Railway Museum and doll museum are located
in the old stables. There is a walled garden and walks in the grounds.
Penarth
Fawr
Four miles east of Pwllheli by A497 and minor road.
Well-preserved example of Welsh gentry house built in the mid 15th century
with 1700's renovations. It has a hall with a superb timber roof.
Plas
Newydd
Owned by the National Trust. House open April-end Oct, daily except
Thur and Fri, 12-5; garden 11-5.
Plas Newydd, (not to be confused with the house of the same name at
Llangollen) home of the Marquis of Anglesey, is an 18th century house
built by James Wyatt in both Classical and Gothic styles. It houses
a massive mural painted by Rex Whistler and an exhibition about his
work.
Portmeiron
More fantasy village than historic home, Portmeiron is the work of Sir
Clough Williams-Ellis, a Welsh architect. He built it in 1927, setting
it into the architecture of wooded hillside and beach. He wanted to
show that 'the development of a naturally beautiful site need not lead
to its defilement'. It became famous as the setting for a TV series,
The Prisoner.
There
is an AV presentation on the development of the village, and cottages
are rented as holiday homes. The internationally known Portmeirion Pottery,
created by Sir Williams-Ellis' daughter, is sold in the village. See
map
HISTORIC
HOUSES OF WALES
Anglesey & Snowdonia |
North Wales & Borders | Mid
Wales & Brecon Beacons | Ceredigion
| Pembrokeshire | Carmarthenshire
| Swansea & Gower | Cardiff
and South Wales Coast | Wye Valley
& Vale of Usk
WALES
TRAVEL GUIDE
ATTRACTIONS
IN WALES BY REGION
Map of Regions
Anglesey and Snowdonia | North
Wales Coast and Borderlands | Mid
Wales and Brecon Beacons | Ceredigion
| Pembrokeshire | Carmarthenshire
| Swansea, Gower and the Vale of
Neath | Cardiff, Coast, &
Valleys of South Wales | Wye Valley
and Vale of Usk
ATTRACTIONS
IN WALES BY TYPE
OF ATTRACTION
Abbeys & Monasteries |
Ancient Sites | Castles
| Gardens | Historic
Churches & Religious Sites | Historic
Houses | Museums | Roman
Remains
Photo Credits - Penrhyn courtesy of Wales Tourist Board, Portmeiron
© Barbara Ballard
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