Bodelwyddan Castle Facts for Kids

Bodelwyddan Castle

Bodelwyddan Castle (which is Castell Bodelwyddan in Welsh) is a historic building near the village of Bodelwyddan, close to Rhyl in Denbighshire, Wales. It was first built around 1460 by the Humphreys family of Anglesey as a large country house. For about 200 years, starting in 1690, it was owned by the Williams-Wynn family. The castle is known for its "Gothick castellated style," which means it was designed to look like an old castle, even though it was built much later. It used to be open to the public as a historic house museum, but it closed in 2019 and was put up for sale.

By August 2019, the castle grounds and other attractions also closed. However, a hotel located nearby, which is run separately, was not affected and stayed open.

History of Bodelwyddan Castle
Gardens
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History of Bodelwyddan Castle

Watercolour of the house that came before Bodelwyddan Castle, around 1781

The castle was bought from the Humphreys family by Sir William Williams. He was a very important person who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons (a leader in the British government) from 1680 to 1681.

The castle was changed a lot over the years. In 1805, it was updated in a "Greek Revival" style, which used designs from ancient Greek buildings. Then, between 1830 and 1832, Sir John Hay Williams hired famous architects Joseph Hansom (who invented the Hansom cab, a type of horse-drawn carriage) and Edward Welch to make even bigger changes. They rebuilt and added to the house, giving it the "castellated style" that made it look like a real castle.

Bodelwyddan Castle

Many people think that Bodelwyddan Castle was one of Joseph Hansom's most exciting projects. It was described as "wildly dramatic" and very different from other buildings of its time. At the same time, a large wall was built around the estate, and beautiful formal gardens were created.

More updates were done in the 1880s by Sir Herbert, 7th Baronet. He inherited the castle from his cousin. During the First World War, the castle became a hospital where wounded soldiers could recover. The castle grounds were also used by soldiers from a nearby camp called Kinmel Camp for training in trench warfare. You can still see parts of these old trenches today!

Some stories say that the castle is haunted, according to WalesOnline.

Lowther College at the Castle

By 1920, it became very expensive for the Williams-Wynn family to keep up the castle and its large estate. So, they rented Bodelwyddan to Lowther College, which was a private school for girls. This school had started in 1896 in Lytham St. Annes by a woman named Florence Lindley. Five years later, in 1925, Lowther College bought the castle property.

Lowther College was special because it was one of the first private girls' schools to have its own swimming pool. It even had a private golf course! The school was also known for its excellent musical performances, called "Lowther College Tableaux." Boys were allowed to attend the school starting in 1977. However, the school eventually closed in 1982 because of money problems.

Bodelwyddan as a Museum and Arts Centre

In the 1980s, the local government, Clwyd County Council, bought the castle site. Their plan was to turn the castle into a place for visitors. The historic house and its grounds were opened to the public and managed by the Bodelwyddan Castle Trust, which was a charity.

The castle worked with famous art places like the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts. This allowed the castle to show off amazing art and historical items from their collections. To get the castle ready for these displays, its inside was carefully restored by Roderick Gradidge, an expert in Victorian architecture. The portrait gallery opened in 1988 and was even named Museum of the Year in 1989! However, the castle's partnership with the National Portrait Gallery ended in 2017 when its funding was cut by Denbighshire County Council.

Closure of the Castle and Grounds

In 2017, Denbighshire County Council decided to sell the castle site.

By February 2019, the castle's 99-year lease was still for sale. In June 2019, the Bodelwyddan Castle Trust announced that the historic house itself had closed. At that time, the gardens and park were still open to visitors. But in August 2019, the trustees said that the castle, along with the woodlands, parklands, play area, and trench experience, were no longer open to the public.

In mid-2021, a company called Bourne Leisure Hotels agreed to buy the remaining part of the castle from Denbighshire County Council. Bourne Leisure Hotels planned to completely fix up the castle and run it through its Warner Leisure Hotels company, which already ran the hotel on the property. The Council would keep the woodland, a meadow, a car park, and the farming lands, as well as a small building on the edge of the property.

Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel

A part of the castle site was rented out to the Rank Organisation in 1994. They developed it into a fancy hotel called Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, which is run by Warner Leisure Hotels. This hotel is located within what used to be the castle's service area.

The historic castle building and its grounds are separate from the hotel. Even though the castle closed to tourists, the hotel area of the property was not affected and kept operating.

Gardens

The castle is surrounded by a large area of parkland and beautiful formal gardens. The most recent design for these gardens was created by Thomas Hayton Mawson in 1910.

Images for kids

Bodelwyddan Castle
Bodelwyddan Castle Main gateway.
Bodelwyddan Castle 02
Bodelwyddan Castle, Entrance Staircase with Gothic detailing. C.1802 and later
Bodelwyddan Castle, Williams Arms over archway towards gardens
Bodelwyddan Castle Gothic wing added 1802–8.
Bodelwyddan Castle Gothic window alcove 1802–8.
Bodelwyddan Castle, Medieval knight on NE facade c1840.
Bodelwyddan Castle, Detail in Gothic room, mainly 1802-8
Bodelwyddan Castle Doorin Gothic room, mainly 1802-8
Bodelwyddan Castle Gothic fireplace.
Bodelwyddan Castle. Gothic revival ceiling 1802–8 with Williams family crossed foxes.
Bodelwyddan Castle Greek revival doorway to Gothic room.
Bodelwyddan Castle Garden entrance by Thomas Mawson.
Bodelwyddan Castle. Obelisk in Garden.
View of the St Margaret of Antioch's Church from the Bodelwyddan Castle