Karen Foy highlights three properties giving us a glimpse of Conwy life through the ages
For centuries Conwy’s inhabitants have lived and worked side by side, sharing and maintaining its diverse selection of buildings which give the town its historical, architectural mix. With so many worthy candidates with their own stories to tell, it is hard to choose – and do justice – to all of them, so I have chosen to focus on three properties which give us a glimpse of Conwy life through the ages.
A Majestic Mansion…
Located in the middle of Conwy’s High Street is one of the best preserved Elizabethan structures in Wales, the townhouse of ‘Plas Mawr’. Constructed at a cost of £800 between the years 1576 and 1585, it was the brainchild of Robert Wynn, born in 1520, and the third son of John Wynne ap Meredith of Gwydir, Llanrwst.
An ancient, illustrious family, the Wynns ancestry dates back to Bran, the father of Caractacus, who is believed to have introduced Christianity to Britain.
Such were their notable connections that one of the Wynns bore the standard at the funeral of the eldest son of King James I – Prince Henry – and through marriage they could even claim Owain Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales as one of their forebears.
When Robert Wynn commissioned Plas Mawr he had travelled extensively as a merchant before settling in Conwy and his ‘Great House’, with its distinctive, stepped gabled facade, has remained a showpiece in the town ever since.
In-keeping with Robert’s strong sense of family and social standing, the Royal Coat of Arms is displayed over the entrance and two Greek words – ‘Sustine, Abstine’ meaning ‘Bear, Forbear’ have been carved into the stone lintel.
Inside boasts a spacious Banqueting Hall measuring thirty feet long by twenty feet wide, and an immense fireplace creates a central feature with the chimney breast ornately carved with shields depicting stags and rampant lions, and the crest of the Wynn family.
It was during restoration to return the house to its former glory that the fireplace decoration was discovered concealed in plaster. Today, the embellishments have been repainted in vivid reds and greens, the original colours used in the 16th Century to proclaim Wynn’s wealth and status among the community. During the renovation, slate from the Cwt-y-Bugail Quarry at Blaenau Ffestiniog was used to provide the roof tiles, flooring, paving and sills. Skilful carpentry, ornate friezes and fabulous plasterwork can be seen throughout the house showcasing a menagerie of lions, heraldic bears and dragons. Such was its striking appearance, it is said that the ceiling of the Grand Hall at Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 was modelled on the ceiling of Plas Mawr’s Banqueting Hall.
By referring to an inventory which survived from 1665, it has been possible to seek authentic furnishings to give Plas Mawr a period feel. The kitchen has been recreated with its open fire and large table over which hangs a wooden cage attached to the oak beams in the ceiling that would have originally been used as a bread or food safe.
From the Upper Courtyard a number of doorways lead off into various parts of the house, including a route to the Watch Tower (used as a sentry point throughout the reign of King Charles I), where a small spiral staircase leads to an ‘observation’ area allowing views over the town to be enjoyed.
Ghostly Goings On
With a long history of stories relating to paranormal activities, Plas Mawr has a reputation for being haunted.
One particular tale takes place on a winter night towards the end of the 16th century when the Lady of the house and her young child were in the tower, watching for her husband’s return. When cold and tiredness overcame her, she descended the steps with her son, only for them to fall in the darkness and be seriously injured.
The housekeeper made them a bed in the Lantern Room next to her own, but when mother and child began to rapidly deteriorate, the doctor was sent for. With the old doctor unobtainable, young Doctor Dick arrived. Their needs were beyond his limited skills so he requested that the old doctor be found, only to find himself locked in the room with the patients so that they would not be left alone. One of the servants was despatched to find the medic but – unbelievably – never came back for fifty years!
When the Master returned and demanded the opening of the door to the Lantern Room he found that his wife and child were dead and that the young doctor had disappeared even though the door remained locked.
Grief stricken, he shut himself away with his family and was found the next morning, dead by his own hand.
Legend has it that the doctor, unable to save his patients, had panicked and escaped via the old chimney, got lost in the rabbit warren of passages and died; his bones still to be discovered within the walls of the house.
Whilst tales of strange noises coming from within the Lantern Room remain, it is said that the servant – despatched to find the old doctor – returned to the town half a century later as an aged seaman. Apparently, on that fateful night he had been captured by the Pressgang and bundled aboard a ship destined for foreign parts – and knew nothing of the fate of this poor family until his return!
A Change of Purpose
Leaving Plas Mawr and turning right into Castle Street, you will come across the 14th Century merchant’s abode known as Aberconwy House. The upper story is thought to have been built just after the Battle of Agincourt, so in a property that has remained standing for over 600 years, it is not surprising that it has had its fair share of inhabitants.
During the 17th Century, Evan David and his wife used the downstairs of the building to sell the produce that they grew on their farm in Benarth, Glan Conwy. By the late 1700s, mariner and successful slate and copper merchant, Captain Samuel Williams had taken ownership, using the house as a base to stay when ashore. Its location – not far from Conwy quay – gave him the perfect vantage point from which to access and maintain his ships.
But it wasn’t long before the property saw another change of hands – and purpose – when Aberconwy House was turned into a Temperance Hotel and Coffee Shop under the guiding hand of Jane Jones and her family. The Temperance Movement believed in the abstinence of alcohol to improve people’s lives. As an advocate for the cause, Jane’s new venture offered comfortable surroundings and a place to socialise without the temptation and effects of intoxicating liquor.
Aberconwy House was given to the National Trust in 1934, and today, the stone and timber ‘time machine’ has been decorated to depict three different periods in its fascinating history – Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian.
Small, but Perfectly Formed
Conwy’s buildings give us a glimpse into how its inhabitants lived and worked, but this article would not be complete without mentioning the tiny dwelling known as the ‘Smallest House’.
Situated on the quayside amidst black and white, and stone cottages, sits the Smallest House in Britain. Recognised as such in the Guinness Book of Records, it is unmissable with its pillar box red painted wall, and miniscule dimensions of 72 inches wide by 122 inches high. From May 1900, the property has been a visitor attraction, but previously, its last occupant was local fisherman Robert Jones.
Despite being 6ft 3in, Robert Jones had space for just the right amount of home comforts in the form of a single bed, a fireplace and a coal bunker. His life may have been a world away from the luxuries and wealth enjoyed by the Wynn family at Plas Mawr, but he had a roof over his head, a place to sleep, and a fireplace to keep warm and to cook the fish he caught.
With so many exceptional buildings in the walled town of Conwy, there is an architectural gem around every corner, each with its own unique and fascinating tale to tell!
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