Glandyfi Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glandyfi Castle |
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"a Georgian country house in picturesque castellated style"
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| Type | House |
| Location | Glandyfi, Ceredigion |
| Built | 1812 |
| Architectural style(s) | Mock castle |
| Governing body | Privately owned |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Glandyfi Castle | |
| Designated | 21 January 1964 |
| Reference no. | 9874 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Gatepiers to Glandyfi Castle | |
| Designated | 23 November 2004 |
| Reference no. | 83263 |
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Glandyfi Castle is a large house in Glandyfi, Ceredigion, Wales. It was built in the early 1800s to look like a castle, even though it wasn't a real fortress. It was built for George Jeffreys, who was a lawyer. His family had owned the land since 1792. We don't know for sure who designed the castle, but some people think it might have been John Hiram Haycock.
George Jeffreys and his wife were friends with Thomas Love Peacock, a famous writer and poet. Thomas Love Peacock even got married at Glandyfi Castle in 1820.
Glandyfi Castle is the only country house in Ceredigion that looks like a castle. It is a Grade II listed building, which means it's a special building protected for its history and architecture. The castle is in a beautiful natural area, overlooking a bird reserve, an estuary (where a river meets the sea), and the mountains of Snowdonia.
Contents
The Castle's Story
The Jeffreys family originally came from Shrewsbury. They moved to Ceredigion (which was called Cardiganshire back then) in the mid-1700s. They wanted to set up mills for melting lead.
Early History and Ownership
Edward Jeffreys bought the Ynyshir estate, which included the land where the castle now stands, in 1792. Sadly, several family members died soon after. Edward died in 1801, his son Robert died in 1802, and another son, also named Edward, was killed in a war in 1812. Because of these sad events, the estate went to Edward's brother, George Jeffreys. George was a lawyer, and he started building the castle right after he inherited the land.
In 1819, George Jeffreys became the High Sheriff of Cardiganshire, an important local role. The next year, his close friend, Thomas Love Peacock, married Jane Griffith. They celebrated their wedding reception at Glandyfi Castle. George Jeffreys died in 1868. When his second son, Charles, died in 1906, Glandyfi Castle was sold.
The 20th and 21st Centuries
After the Jeffreys family, the castle and its large estate of 370 acres were sold to Lewis Pugh Pugh. He kept some of the land but sold the house and 43 acres to Major R. J. Spurrell.
In the 1950s, a company called BSA motorcycles bought the castle. It was used by Sir Bernard Docker, who was the chairman of the company. Sir Bernard and his wife, Norah Collins, were known for their very fancy and expensive lifestyle. Because of this, Sir Bernard was removed from his job at BSA, and Glandyfi Castle was sold in 1956.
Since the 1950s, the castle has been carefully repaired and updated. It was later used as a hotel, a place for weddings, and a bed-and-breakfast. This stopped in September 2019 when the castle was put up for sale. In 2019, Country Life magazine said the castle was "beautifully restored". At that time, it had 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and 31 acres of land.
Castle Design and Look
In the mid-1700s, people started to build houses in a new style called Gothic Revival architecture. This style made buildings look like old castles. Many castle-like houses were built in Wales, like Penrhyn Castle in the north and Cyfarthfa Castle in the south. Glandyfi Castle is much smaller than those, but it is similar to Stanage Park in Knighton, just over the border in Powys.
Who Designed Glandyfi Castle?
Stanage Park was designed by John Hiram Haycock. Because of the similarities, some experts, like those who wrote the Pevsner Architectural Guides, think Haycock might have also designed Glandyfi. However, there isn't clear proof to confirm this.
In 2019, Country Life magazine described Glandyfi as a "Regency castle" and a "John Nash style Gothic Regency country home". They also mentioned that it "is said to be similar to Stanage Park [built by] H. Haycock of Shrewsbury, who may also have been the architect at Glandyfi".
What Does It Look Like?
The castle has a main part with two floors. To the left, there's a tower with three floors. To the right, there's a large buttress, which is a support built into the wall. A dining room and a small tower were added later. The whole building has crenellations along the top, which are the notched walls you see on real castles. Inside, some of the wooden wall panels were brought in from other places.
Glandyfi Castle is a Grade II listed building. Its official listing says it is "the only example [of a] Georgian country house in picturesque castellated style in the county." This means it's a unique and important example of a house built to look like a castle in a beautiful, scenic way.
