The Estate

The Gwrych Castle Estate was originally over 6000 acres and covered great swathes of North Wales, Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Cheshire. These pages offers insights into aspects of the Estate which was broken up and sold in 1946.

Lady Emily's Tower

Lady Emily’s Tower is situated on a rocky outcrop to the West of the castle itself, overlooking the Bay of Liverpool. The tower is said to have been built so that Lady Emily and her children could “take the airs” and paint. There is an inscription over the doorway to the tower which comes from Psalm 95 verse 5 This inscription could refer to the spectacular views from the tower.

This poem, by William Fordyce Mavor in 1789 to describe Blenheim Palace was chosen by a contemporary of Lloyd Hesketh Bamford Hesketh who considered the views from the tower to be reflected in the poem.

• Enchanting site! Hence every rural sweet,
• And every natural charm to meet.
• Hence to the eye the landscape opens wide!
• The dancing sprits roll a quicker tide.
• Around new objects promp th' excursive lay:
• The gentle winding stream, the meadows gay;
• The smiling village sunk in leafy shades,
• That just unfolds its low through the glades;
• The splendid seat, the tower, the shining spire,
• And hills that catch the sun's departing fire.