Gwrych Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gwrych Castle |
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| Castell Gwrych | |
| Abergele, Wales | |
East wing of the castle
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| Coordinates | 53°17′00″N 3°36′31″W / 53.2833°N 3.6087°W |
| Type | Gothic revival |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust |
| Condition | Derelict, being restored |
| Site history | |
| Built |
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| Built by |
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| In use | Open to public |
| Materials | Cast iron, grey and white limestone |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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Gwrych Castle (Welsh: Castell Gwrych means "Hedged Castle") is a large country house in Wales. It was built in the 1800s but looks like an old castle. It is near Abergele in Conwy County Borough. The castle and its huge 236-acre estate are owned by a private group. Most of the land is rented to Natural Resources Wales for a very long time.
Contents
A Look Back: Early History
The first owners of Gwrych were the Lloyds. Their family history goes back to the Middle Ages. They were part of a royal family from North Wales. The Lloyds were also related to Llywelyn the Great, a famous Welsh prince.
The Gwrych Castle Estate has many old secrets. There are two Iron Age hillforts. These were old forts built on hills. There is also a Roman shrine. People used to mine for lead and silver here. You can even find stone tablets at the main entrance. These tablets tell about battles that happened here long ago.
Building Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle was built between 1810 and 1825. Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh built it. He wanted to remember his mother and her family. The new castle included an older house. The Lloyds had owned this house since the late Middle Ages.
From 1894 to 1924, Winifred, Countess of Dundonald, owned the castle. She was the Hesketh family's heir. The castle became the home of her family, the Dundonalds. The Countess wanted to give the castle to King George V and the Prince of Wales. But they did not accept the gift. So, the castle went to the Venerable Order of Saint John.
In 1928, Douglas Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald, bought the castle. He paid £78,000 for it. He sold everything inside the castle to pay for it.
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A page from Anne Wagner's scrapbook. It shows the original medieval building, Plas yn y Gwrych, around 1800. This was before the castle was built.
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Gwrych Castle in 1825. This was soon after the new castle-like mansion was finished.
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Gwrych Castle in the 1920s. This view is from the Hesketh Tower.
During the Second World War, the castle helped many people. The government used it to house 200 Jewish refugees. This was part of the Kindertransport program. A Jewish youth group called Bnei Akiva ran the program. After the war, the Dundonald family no longer owned the castle. It then opened to the public as a place to visit.
A "Headless Monster" Mystery!
In 1913, some strange stories came from near Gwrych Castle. One person said they saw a "headless monster" in a field. Another person heard a loud screech on the same road. It turned out the "headless creature" was just a black and white sheep. Its black head blended with the shadows. The screech was a tree branch breaking in the wind.
This made many people scared. They avoided that road completely. Some walked miles longer or took a train. Men even bought revolvers to protect themselves.
A Popular Place to Visit
Gwrych Castle became known as "The Showpiece of Wales." Many people came to visit it. It was also used for training. In the early 1950s, boxing champion Randolph Turpin trained there.
In the early 1960s, the castle hosted the famous motorcycle Dragon Rally. In the 1970s, it was a center for medieval re-enactments. These events brought in tourists. People could watch jousting and enjoy banquets.
When the Castle Closed Down
The castle closed to the public in 1987. It then started to fall apart. In 1989, an American businessman named Nick Tavaglione bought it. He paid £750,000. But his plans to fix it up did not happen.
Because of this, the castle was robbed and damaged a lot. It became an empty shell. However, it was used in 1996 for the film Prince Valiant. Famous actors like Edward Fox and Joanna Lumley were in it. Today, you can take tours of the castle. But some parts are closed because they are not safe.
During this time, a historian named Mark Baker started a campaign. He wanted to bring the castle back to its old glory. He started this campaign when he was only twelve years old! Mark helped create the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust. This group works to protect the castle's future. They watched the castle's condition closely. They pushed the local council to buy the property. This pressure made the American owner sell it in 2006.
In 2007, City Services Ltd bought the castle for £850,000. They planned a three-year project. It would cost £6,000,000 to fix the castle. They wanted to turn it into a 90-bedroom, 5-star hotel. This would create 100 jobs. The project had support from the Trust. The company spent about £500,000 on their plans. They cleared the site and rebuilt some areas.
Later, new developers got permission in 2012. They planned to turn the castle into a luxury hotel. It would have 75 bedrooms and other facilities.
Saving Gwrych Castle
On June 13, 2018, Gwrych Castle was sold. The Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust bought it. This group is a charity. They got money from the National Heritage Memorial Fund to help.
The Trust's main goal is to protect Gwrych Castle. They want to save its history and architecture. They also want to support Welsh culture. They hope to help Welsh artists, musicians, and crafters.
Fixing the castle costs a lot of money. The Trust needs help from volunteers. People can give their time, skills, and knowledge.
In August 2020, there were rumors. People thought ITV chose the castle for I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They could not film in Australia. On August 27, Gwrych Castle confirmed this on social media. Giovanna Fletcher was the first "Queen of the Castle" at the end of that series.
Gwrych Castle on TV and in Movies
Gwrych Castle has been featured in many shows and films.
On Television
- Michael Portillo visited Gwrych Castle. He met Mark Baker there. This was for the BBC show Great British Railway Journeys in 2018.
- Hidden Wales on BBC One Wales showed the castle in 2018.
- The TV series Mysteries of the Abandoned featured Gwrych Castle. This episode was called "Haunting of Heartbreak Castle" in 2019.
- In 2020, Gwrych was shown on S4C's Hansh. A Welsh artist talked about mental health. He used his art as therapy. The castle showed the importance of keeping culture alive.
- Gwrych Castle was the filming location for I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2020. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Films
- Holiday on the Buses (1973)
- Prince Valiant (1997)
- Dragon Crusaders (2011)
- Saint Dracula 3D (2012)
In Books
- Life and Liszt: The Recollections of a Concert Pianist by Arthur Friedheim (1961) mentions the castle. He describes a music show at "the beautiful home of the Countess of Dundonald" (Gwrych Castle).
See Also
In Spanish: Castillo de Gwrych para niños
