Bedwellty House facts for kids
Bedwellty House is a special old house and beautiful gardens located in Tredegar, a town in south-east Wales. It's officially a 'Grade II listed building', which means it's an important historical place. The house was first built in the early 1800s. Over time, it was made bigger and grander. In the early 1900s, the people who owned it gave the house and its land to the public. Later, in the early 2000s, it was carefully restored. The gardens are also very important. They are the only ones in the Blaenau Gwent area listed on a special Welsh register for historic parks and gardens.
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The Story of Bedwellty House
Bedwellty House, originally called Plas Bedwellty, started as a smaller home. It belonged to the wealthy Morgan family, who also owned Tredegar House. In 1800, a man named Samuel Homfray, who owned ironworks, bought the house. He rebuilt it in 1825. His son made the house even larger by adding two wings by 1842.
From Private Home to Public Gem
The Morgan family bought the house back later in the 1800s. They used it for the manager of their big business, the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. In 1901, the Morgan family made a wonderful gift. They gave Bedwellty House and its grounds to the local community. The house then became offices for the local council.
Restoring a Historic Place
Many years later, between 2006 and 2011, Bedwellty House and its gardens were carefully restored. This important work was helped by money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other groups. Because of its history and special features, Bedwellty House is protected as a 'Grade II listed building'.
Exploring the Gardens and Park
The park around Bedwellty House covers about 26 acres. It was designed in the Victorian times. The idea was to create a garden where people could walk or ride without seeing any fences or outside areas.
Special Features to Discover
Today, visitors can enjoy many interesting things in the park:
- The Long Shelter: This is a special building that is also Grade II listed. It was built for the Chartist movement, a group of people who wanted more rights for ordinary workers in the 1800s.
- Edwardian Bandstand: A lovely place where bands used to play music.
- Gazebo: A small, open building in the garden where people could relax.
- Duck Ponds: Peaceful ponds where ducks swim.
- The Great Coal Block: One of the most famous sights is a huge piece of coal. This single block weighs 15 tons! Miners from South Wales dug it out for the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. It showed the world how important coal was to Wales.
In 2022, the park itself was also listed as a Grade II historic park by Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service. This shows how important Bedwellty Park is to Wales's history and heritage.
See also
- List of gardens in Wales
