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Gwrych Castle

Gwrych Castle photos (5 available)

Old photo of Gwrych Castle

Gwrych Castle maps (2 available)

Old map of Gwrych Castle

Gwrych Castle memories

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You can also read memories of nearby places in Clwyd below.

Clwyd memories

Aunt Jane's house

Rhyd-Y-Foel, Village c1955

The date is approximate. I was very young, about 6 at the time. I lived with my family in a village called Sandycroft, about 7 miles from Chester. We visited my great Aunt Jane who lived in one of the middle cottages in this picture. I remember a very small kitchen and her buttering an uncut loaf of bread liberally, then slicing it very finely for our tea. Afterwards we walked up the steep hill next to the row of cottages. I remember looking down on the cottages from the top of the hill. It seemed a mammoth walk for small legs. This is a very strong memory. My grandfather's family came from Llandulas nearby. These are my Welsh roots. I ...read more here
A memory of Rhyd-Y-Foel contributed by Carol Posnett

Harold

I grew up in Abergele and I remember a man called Harold. He was a sort of 'tramp' I use this word rather in caution because he lived in a small shack by Slaters on what is now the Tesco car park. He helped out at the cattle market which was again sighted where Teso'c is now. As a boy I was a little afraid of him because he tended to be a little erratic which was not surpising considering the boys used to hound him. He cut a rather sad figure and I reckon he must have been around my age now (50 ish). I left Abergele in the 80's and I wonder what became of him. One epsode I ...read more here
A memory of Abergele contributed by john england

Buses

At the age of fourteen I moved from Rhuthin to live with my gran, Ketura Roberts, who lived in one of the houses opposite the Castle Pub. The bus route was up Llysfaen Hill and past the Semaphore pub, this at the time had a butchers shop integrated with the pub, and was also the first pub in the area to serve Wrexham lager. On one of the visits to get meat for gran, that may I add was very occasional,  I was invited being the only person in the pub to taste this new lager and me at the age of fourteen being a connoisseur of such intoxicating liquers, did not like it and never touched the stuff again. Before ...read more here
A memory of Llysfaen contributed by Anthony Roberts

winkups camp towyn

Towyn, Winkups Camp c1955

When I was 18 in 1955 my Mum booked us a Chalet at Winkups Camp, Towyn. There was Mum, stepfather, myself and 3 sisters aged 5yrs, 3yrs and3 months. Off we went from Huddersfield in Yorkshire in our little Austin 7 (I think), I can remember the excitement now. I think my Mum paid £5 for the week, anyway on arrival we all piled out of the car and Mum went to register in, the lady came and looked at us in dismay and said "But you've only booked for four people". Mum said but there are only four, 3 adults, 2 children make another one, and you can't count a baby, the last bit said with almost a note of ...read more here
A memory of Towyn contributed by margaret cambell

Extracts From Gwrych Castle & Clwyd books

Gwrych Castle, 1891

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries a large number of country houses were built in the castellated style. Some, like Brancepeth in Northumberland, were built to replace what had been fortresses; others, like Gwyrch, were new construction on virgin sites. Gwyrch, one mile west of Abergele, was completed in 1815. Many of its towers were built for show and serve no purpose whatsoever.
An extract from from"Welsh Castles".