Penrhyn Castle facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn Castle - the keep to the right, the main block in the centre and the service wing to the left
Type	Country house
Location	Llandygai, Bangor, Wales
Architect	Thomas Hopper
Owner	National Trust

Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Penrhyn Castle
Designated	3 March 1966
Reference no.	3659


National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
Official name: Penrhyn Park
Designated	3 March 1966
Reference no.	PGW(Gd)40(GWY)


Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Grand Lodge and forecourt walling
Designated	3 March 1966
Reference no.	3661


Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Walls and attached structures to terraced flower garden
Designated	11 March 1981
Reference no.	3 March 1966


Listed Building – Grade II
Official name: Kitchen garden wall and attached outbuildings
Designated	24 May 2000
Reference no.	23375

Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Penrhyn Castle (Welsh: Castell Penrhyn) is a huge country house in Llandygai, near Bangor, Wales. It looks like a Norman castle, but it was actually built much later. The castle and its grounds are now looked after by the National Trust, a charity that protects historic places.

This amazing building has a long history, connected to important events like the slate industry in Wales and the difficult story of slavery. It's a place where you can learn about how wealth was made in the past and how it shaped the grand homes we see today.

A Castle's Story: From Manor to Mansion

Penrhyn Castle wasn't always the grand building you see today. Its story began centuries ago and changed a lot over time.

Early Days: A Fortified Home

In the 1400s, a powerful family leader named Gwilym ap Griffith built a strong, fortified manor house here. This was his family's main home. The land had been given to his ancestor, Ednyfed Fychan, who was an important advisor to a Welsh prince.

Building Wealth: Sugar and Slate

Richard Pennant, who owned Penrhyn Castle in the 1700s.

In the late 1600s, the Pennant family started to become very rich. A soldier named Gifford Pennant moved to Jamaica and built large sugar cane farms, called plantations. These plantations used enslaved people for labor. His family continued to grow their wealth from these farms.

Later, in the 1700s, Richard Pennant inherited the Penrhyn estate. He used the money from his sugar plantations to develop the slate mining industry in North Wales. He made the Penrhyn Quarry much bigger and built Port Penrhyn to ship the slate. This made the quarry the largest slate producer in the world.

Richard Pennant also started to rebuild the old manor house into a "castellated Gothic" castle. He was a Member of Parliament and strongly opposed ending the slave trade.

A Grand New Castle and the Fight Against Slavery

George Hay Dawkins-Pennant, who made the castle much bigger.

When Richard Pennant died in 1808, his cousin, George Hay Dawkins, inherited the estate. He decided to make the castle even bigger and grander. From 1822 to 1837, he hired an architect named Thomas Hopper to rebuild the house into the huge Neo-Norman castle we see today. It cost a huge amount of money, about £150,000 at the time, which would be like £50 million today!

Like Richard Pennant, George Hay Dawkins-Pennant also opposed ending slavery. When slavery was finally abolished in the British Empire in 1833, he received a lot of money as compensation for the enslaved people he "lost."

New Owners and Quarry Strikes

Edward Douglas-Pennant, who continued to develop the slate quarries.

In 1840, the castle went to Edward Gordon Douglas through his marriage to Dawkins-Pennant's daughter. He and his son, George Douglas-Pennant, 2nd Baron Penrhyn, continued to expand the slate quarries.

However, they were against trade unions, which are groups that protect workers' rights. This led to big strikes, including the "Great Strike" from 1900 to 1903, which was the longest worker dispute in British history. These strikes caused a lot of anger and sadness in the local community.

The family didn't live in the castle all the time; they mostly used it for summer holidays. They collected many famous paintings, and important guests like Queen Victoria visited.

Penrhyn Castle Today: A National Trust Property

In 1951, the castle and its large estate were given to the National Trust. This happened because the family used it to pay a special tax when someone dies. The National Trust now takes care of the castle and opens it to visitors.

In recent years, the National Trust has been working to share the full story of Penrhyn Castle, including its strong links to slavery and colonialism. They want to make sure visitors understand how the castle's wealth was created.

Slavery and Slate: The Castle's Foundations

The wealth that built Penrhyn Castle came from two main sources: slavery and slate. Understanding these connections helps us see the full picture of the castle's history.

The Role of Slavery

For a long time, the connection between grand country houses and slavery was not widely discussed. However, experts have shown that Penrhyn Castle is a clear example of how profits from slave plantations helped build Britain's economy.

The ship Lady Penrhyn, which was used in the slave trade.

The Pennant family owned several sugar plantations in Jamaica, where thousands of enslaved people were forced to work. The money made from these plantations was used to develop the Penrhyn estate and build the magnificent castle.

When slavery was abolished in 1833, the government paid money to slave owners as "compensation" for their "loss" of enslaved people. George Hay Dawkins-Pennant received a large sum for the 764 enslaved people he owned.

Discussing these links has sometimes caused debate, but the National Trust is committed to sharing this important part of history.

The Power of Slate

The other major source of wealth for the Pennant family was the Penrhyn Quarry. This quarry became the largest in the world, producing huge amounts of slate used for roofs and buildings all over the world.

The quarry workers, however, faced difficult conditions. The owners, especially the later Lords Penrhyn, were strongly against workers forming trade unions to improve their rights. This led to bitter strikes, like the "Great Strike" of 1900–1903. This long dispute caused lasting anger and sadness among the quarry workers and their families. Even today, some local people feel a strong connection to this difficult past.

Amazing Art Collection

Penrhyn Castle is home to one of the best art collections in Wales. It includes paintings by famous artists like Canaletto and Richard Wilson.

Most of this collection was put together by Edward Douglas-Pennant in the mid-1800s. He loved collecting Dutch landscapes, Spanish paintings, and Italian religious art. During World War II, many paintings from the National Gallery in London were stored at the castle to keep them safe from bombs.

The art collection still belongs to the Douglas-Pennant family, but some pieces have been given to the National Trust over the years.

Castle Design and Features

Penrhyn Castle is known as one of the most impressive "mock castles" built in the 1800s. It was designed by Thomas Hopper in a style called Romanesque Revival, which means it looks like a very old Norman castle.

Outside the Castle: A Massive Structure

The tall tower (donjon) of Penrhyn Castle.

The castle is huge, stretching over 450 feet (137 meters) long. It has three main parts:

The tall tower, called a donjon, which was where the family lived.
The main block, which holds the grand state rooms.
The service wing and stables.

The castle is built from local stone and looks incredibly strong. The main entrance has a long driveway that leads to a gatehouse and a courtyard in front of the central part of the castle.

Inside the Castle: Grand Rooms

Hopper designed all the main rooms inside the castle in a rich Norman style, with beautiful plasterwork and carved wood and stone.

The Grand Hall

The impressive Grand Hall inside the castle.

When you enter, you step into the Grand Hall. It's very tall, like the inside of a church, with a high ceiling supported by columns. This hall connects to all the different parts of the castle.

The Library

The library at Penrhyn is enormous and looks incredibly rich. It has huge arches that look like wood but are actually plaster. The room also has a special billiard table made entirely of slate and furniture designed by Hopper.

Drawing Room and Ebony Room

The Drawing Room was once the Great Hall of the older medieval house. It's decorated in a lighter, more elegant style. It has huge gilt mirrors, one of which was once described as the largest mirror ever made in Britain. The Ebony Room is named for its dark, polished wood, which looks like ebony.

Dining Room and Breakfast Room

These rooms were used for eating, either formally with guests in the Dining Room or more casually with just the family in the Breakfast Room. They also served as galleries for the family's large collection of paintings.

The Grand Staircase

A view up the Grand Staircase, showing its height.

The Grand Staircase is considered one of the most impressive parts of the castle. It took over ten years to build and rises through the entire height of the house, lit only by a window at the very top. It's made of different grey stones with amazing carvings.

Bedrooms

The State Bedroom, ready for important guests.

The tall tower (donjon) held the family's bedrooms and rooms for important guests. One room has a special slate bed that was made for Queen Victoria when she visited in 1859, though she chose not to sleep in it! Many rooms have beautiful carpets and handmade Chinese wallpaper.

Service Areas

Penrhyn Castle had many service buildings and rooms to help run the huge household. These included a kitchen, a servants' hall, and offices for the estate manager and housekeeper. Even the stables were designed to look like a fortress!

Gardens and Grounds

The castle grounds are a great example of Victorian gardening. You can find special trees, rhododendrons, and many other plants. There's even a tree planted by Queen Victoria herself! The gardens also have a large underground water tank, built in the 1840s, which could hold 200,000 gallons of water.

The castle and its grounds are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, recognizing their important history.

Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum

The Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum, located in the old stables.

In the castle's old stable block, you can find the Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum. This museum focuses on narrow-gauge railways, which were very important for the slate industry. The Penrhyn Quarry Railway was one of the earliest industrial railways in the world. The museum has several historic steam locomotives and other railway items.