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Last updated
05 September, 2008

On these pages you can have the chance to read peoples memories of Gwrych and what it means to them. If you have any memories of Gwrych you’d like to share please E-mail them to us. We are also interested in pictures of the interior of Gwrych from the 50’s through to the 80’s. If you have any you’d like to share with us, please scan them and E-mail them to us.

These are the thoughts of the individuals concerned
which may not reflect the views of the Trust

My Fairy Castle by Mrs Marion Riley
When I was 10 years old and just started to attend Cavendish High School for Girls in Buxton my Uncle George and Auntie Sarah who had lived opposite us in Disley moved to live in Abergele in North Wales.

My Uncle had been invited by the Countess of Dundonald to manage her Gwrych Castle Estate at Abergele. The castle is situated on the hillside between Abergele and Llanddulas and the park is enclosed by a high wall with three lodges along the main road to Old Colwyn, Abergele Lodge, Old Gwrych and Tan- yr- Ogo Lodges. The castle was built at the beginning of the 19th Century by Lloyd Bamford Hesketh who lived at Old Gwrych House when he was a boy and had a vision of building a castle on the hillside. When he grew up he realised his dream.

Twice a year at least I would go and stay with my Aunt & Uncle and we would go to the castle to see that everything was in order.

From the main entrance there was an outer hall then an inner hall that led to various rooms on one side and to the foot of the main staircase. That was beautiful with black and white marble at the foot and white marble at the sides of the stair treads. When the red carpet was laid it was magnificent. There was a landing half way up which led to bedrooms and bathrooms etc. There were oil paintings of the Countess's five children along the landing.

The countess's bedroom was lovely I thought. The décor was in white and mauve and the kidney shaped dressing table was draped round with silk and spotted muslin and the bedroom was also draped, hanging from a gold coronet above the bed. The curtains and walls were pale mauve and the carpet a slightly darker shade. After the death of the countess the castle changed hands two or three times. During the last war 200 Jewish children from Europe were housed there so some good came of it.

Now my fairy tale castle has been vandalised and ruined. Quite a bit of my time at Abergele was spent looking for wild flowers and then there were wild mushrooms in the Park. Auntie would cook them for tea and they were delicious. When my brother was with me we would go to the Old House where Gwynedd & Elwyn Pugh lived and spent an afternoon there and of course stayed for tea. I lost touch with the family when uncle died and auntie came to Disley to live with my parents. I went to work in Chesterfield.

Thank you, dear God for happy memories throughout our lives.

Used with the permission of the Fairfield Methodist Church

Lee writes:
I entered this castle from the rear after going for a walk one day when I was in Wales for a week in 1989, I was only 12 and was with my father. We had been walking over the large hill behind the castle on a hot summers day when we were staying in Llandudno.
The castle was closed but we were unaware of this and was only exploring around the rear when we managed to get inside by somehow climbing down a kind of hole in the ground. Very strange!.
We had a walk around the castle and although some of the ceilings had collapsed in there were many beautiful things still intact. The staircase was much better than it appears today. I find it sad that it has been left to decay in this way! I had great memories of this short visit and I just feel so sad to see the way it has become.

Mike from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire writes:
I can't believe that someone has set up a web site to what was once a wonderful castle, brilliant. From the age of 8 years to when I was 15 years old, I paid a visit to the castle every year with my family. I had such wonderful times there, and remember the red carpeted marble staircase very well. The jousting, the fun and games the actors would have entertaining the public and dungeons and the stable cafe. I even had my first camping holiday on the grounds of the castle in 1975 and was amazed to see the Sealed Knot troop were staying there as well.
My happy memories turned to sadness, shock and disbelief when I visited the castle around 1997. What had happened, I barely recognised the once great hall, the mighty marble staircase had vanished. New Age Travellers and vandals had all but totally destroyed this once mighty castle.
Well done Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust for setting this web site up.
Gwrych deserves to be mighty and proud once again.