The History of Garthewin Hall
Garthewin Hall is part of a large estate deep in the Conwy countryside.
The roots of Garthewin go back to at least the 17th century when Robert Wynne married the heiress to the estate. Wynne was a Royalist commander in the Civil War, but could trace his ancestry back to the 9th century leader, Marchadd ap Cynon who founded the eighth of the Noble Tribes of Wales.
Over the years there have been some amazing characters in the Wynne family.
Colonel Wynne who, whilst serving in Arabia, climbed into a harem for a daring bet, risking a penalty of castration. Unfortunately he was caught thus creating inheritance problems for the Wynne's in the 19th century! His father Robert, the diarist of the family, who chronicled the late 18th century at Garthewin, was painted by Gainsborough. Brownlow Wynn Wynne was said to be such a good marksman he was able to shoot from the hip – and hit his target. His wife had a boating accident in the ornamental lake and suffered a miscarriage. From then on she locked herself away in her bedroom, refusing to speak to her husband and dedicated herself to breeding white mice. Then there is Catherine, who was brought up with Queen Elizabeth 1. She is said to have killed one of her four husbands by pouring molten lead into his ear while he was asleep. Finally Maria Stella, Lady Newborough, who should have been a French princess, as she explained in her amazing book about her life.
Garthewin was once an estate of 15,000 acres including the village of Llanfair Talhaiarn. Little is known of the first dwelling to occupy the site, sheltering halfway up a south facing hill near Abergele. The first written records refer to the house in the 14th century. The Elizabethan house which replaced it was knocked down, as was the Jacobean house which came next. Today, Garthewin, is basically in its 18th century manifestation, with a few 20th century additions from Clough Williams Ellis, creator of nearby Portmeirion. He also added a garden terrace to the south front. But whatever the official age of the property, this is an ancient place.
The drive up to the main house is at least a mile and a half through broad leaved woodland until you reach a small lodge house called the Book Room. The lawn then opens out and there in front of you is the magnificent large white mansion. There are several historical listed buildings on the site. The house itself is Grade 11 listed and just west of the house is the Grade 11 listed Chapel and Book Room. Around the house is an 8 acre 18th century pleasure garden, created around 1710.
A great ancestral house in north Wales with an amazing history and one that the society is hoping to visit sometime in the near future.
My thanks to Historic Denbighshire Guide and the Independent for the contents of the article.