Glynllifon facts for kids
Glynllifon is a historic estate in Gwynedd, Wales. It is located near the village of Llandwrog. You can find it on the main A499 road. This road runs between Pwllheli and Caernarfon. The estate once belonged to the Lords Newborough. Today, the main mansion house is a hotel. It is also a popular place for weddings.
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Parc Glynllifon: A Special Place
The large park area of Glynllifon is called Parc Glynllifon. It is now home to Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's agricultural college. You can also find craft workshops here. There are many other educational facilities too.
At the park's entrance, there is a cafe and a fun maze. You can also see interesting exhibits. One special exhibit is an old steam engine. It is an 1854 De Winton horizontal stationary steam engine. It also has a Cornish boiler. A famous restorer named Fred Dibnah helped fix them up. Many fairs are held in the park's car park. These often include steam engine shows and craft fairs.
Important Gardens and Nature
The park is open for everyone to visit. Its gardens are very important. They have special historical and scientific value. These gardens have been given a "Grade I" status. This means they are a Historical Garden of the highest importance. This status was given by Cadw and the Countryside Council for Wales. The park is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it has rare plants or animals.
Glynllifon is also a designated Special Area of Conservation. This is a special protected area for nature. It is home to a small bat called the Lesser horseshoe bat. Its scientific name is Rhinolophus hipposideros. This large site, covering about 189 hectares, is very important for these bats. It is a place where they have their babies. It is also where they sleep during winter. About 6% of all these bats in the UK live here.
Plas Glynllifon: The Mansion House
The main house on the estate is called Plas Glynllifon. The building you see today was built between 1836 and 1848. It was designed by an architect named Edward Haycock Sr.. This house replaced at least three older houses on the same spot. An earlier building was rebuilt around 1600. That house was then rebuilt in 1751. This "moderate-sized brick mansion" was sadly destroyed by a big fire in 1836. The rebuilding after the fire, and an addition in 1889-90, created the house we see today.
Design and History of the House
The house is a grand, three-storey building. It is built in a style called neoclassical. This means it looks like old Greek and Roman buildings. It has a lower service area attached to one side. The front of the house faces south. It has 13 sections and a large central entrance. This entrance has six columns and a triangular top. The house is made of stone. Its walls are covered in a smooth finish. It has a slate roof. The chimneys are also finished smoothly. They have decorative tops.
Glynllifon was the home of the Glynn family until the year 1700. Then, it passed to the Wynn family of Bodvean. Sir Thomas John Wynn became the first Baron Newborough in 1776. The Glynllifon estate stayed in the family. It passed down to Frederick George Wynn, who was the youngest son of the third Lord Newborough.
Today, Plas Glynllifon is a privately owned hotel. It has five stars. It is also a popular place for weddings. The house has been greatly updated. In January 2020, the business faced financial difficulties. Plas Glynllifon is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historic building.
