Plas Brondanw facts for kids
Plas Brondanw is a very special house and garden in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was the family home of Clough Williams-Ellis. He was the person who created the famous village of Portmeirion. You can see similar building styles at both places.
Plas Brondanw is considered a very important building. Its gardens are also super important. They are one of only three gardens in Gwynedd with a special "Grade I" listing. This means they are protected because of their history and beauty. The gardens have different "rooms" made with tall hedges and open grassy areas. They are designed to offer amazing views.
The house is located near the small village of Croesor. It is also close to the unique Snowdonia mountain called Cnicht. Plas Brondanw sits right inside the beautiful Snowdonia National Park.
Contents
A Look at Plas Brondanw's Past
Building the House
The first part of Plas Brondanw was built around the year 1550. A man named John ap Hywel started it. Later, in 1660, another family member, William Williams, made some updates.
Family History and Restoration
The Williams and Ellis family names joined in 1807. This happened when Reverend John Ellis married Jane Bulgin. She was the heir to the Williams family land.
Much later, in 1908, Clough Williams-Ellis inherited Plas Brondanw. He was 25 years old at the time. The house was quite old and needed a lot of work. The house had even been divided into smaller homes. The gardens had become simple vegetable patches. Clough Williams-Ellis worked hard to bring both the house and gardens back to life.
The Fire and Rebuilding
In 1951, a big fire badly damaged Plas Brondanw. After the fire, the property was carefully rebuilt. To remember this event, there is a special statue. It looks like a flaming pot at the top of a waterfall. The rebuilding work finished in December 1953.
The Folly Castle
Across the road from the main house, but still on the Plas Brondanw land, is a unique building. It is called Folly Castle. A "folly" is a building made mostly for decoration. It often looks like a real castle or ruin.
A special sign at Folly Castle says it was a wedding gift. It was given to Clough Williams-Ellis and Amabel Strachey in 1915. The gift came from the Welsh Guards. Folly Castle is on a small hill. From there, you can see great views of the countryside.
This folly has even been in movies and TV shows! Scenes from the film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness were filmed here. Also, an episode of Doctor Who called The Five Doctors used the folly as a filming location.
Visiting Plas Brondanw
You can visit the beautiful gardens at Plas Brondanw. There is a small fee to enter. The old stable building has been changed into a cafe and a craft shop. This happened in 2011. It's a nice place to relax and enjoy the area.
