It's About Time That Gwrych Castle Was Treated With Respect

It may be a man thing, but I definitely fall into the category that believes that seemingly inanimate objects have a life and soul of their own. I know that I am not alone, because I have spent time in the company of grown men who used to burst into tears when Concorde flew over, and who gurgle with delight when a restored steam engine gets up a head of steam to carry out some heavy task, albeit these days connected to the tourist trade.

The gracious sea going Cunard liners of today are jaw dropping in their majesty and appearance, and this brings us to another point, which is why these things are always referred to as “she”. Concorde was a “she”, the Flying Scotsman which was patently a “he” is often called “she”, and the great liners are always called “she” because they are all called “Queen something or other.”

But what about buildings? Well I suppose that the “she rule” probably still applies, but what if the property is a former stately home that is in need of considerable renovation? I suspect that with due deference to the fairer sex, these buildings are referred to as “it”, particularly if it has been treated badly of late.

Step forward Gwrych Castle, near Abergele in Conwy, North Wales, which is in need of renovation and has certainly been treated badly of late. It would be a travesty to call this property “she” and so for the moment at least it will have to be called “it”.

This is another blow to a most beautiful looking building, now effectively a ruin, that really has had a raw deal since its construction in the period 1819 to 1825. Commissioned by the illustrious sounding Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh it was the home of the Dundonald family for thirty years from 1894 to 1924. Winifred Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald willed the property to the Royal Family on her death in 1924, but it was refused and passed to the Venerable Order of St. John. It was purchased in 1928 by the Earl of Dundonald.

It served as a shelter for Jewish refugees during the Second World War, and after the war it was open to the public until 1985, enjoying many uses including banquets and mock jousting, an occasional venue for the dragon rally motorcycle event and even as a boxing training venue.

Regrettably from that time on it has passed through a nefarious group of owners, each one less competent than the last, and all the time the fabric of the building has deteriorated including ownership by an American during which time it was extensively vandalised and looted. It did appear in the film Prince Valiant in 1996, but obviously not for its charm and beauty.

It appears that the building is currently in the last chance saloon, having been purchased for £300,000 by a local development company, who are currently in the process of applying for planning permission to turn the castle into a luxury hotel.

It will be a massive undertaking, but let's hope that it is successful, and once again we can refer to the building as “she”. In the meantime the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust has been set up to highlight the plight of this wonderful building, and we would urge you to make yourself aware of what is happening. We will certainly be returning to this story again in the future.

http://www.gwrychtrust.co.uk