Pen-Y-Lan Hall
Encyclopedia
Pen-Y-Lan Hall is a grade II listed Regency gothic
house located near the village of Ruabon
in Wrexham County Borough, Wales
.
Pen-y-lan is a compact, square stuccoed and castellated house situated on high ground
overlooking the Dee valley to the south. Originally it was a brick house with basement
and pitched roof, built, it is thought, in about 1690 by Euble Lloyd, of Leaton Knolls
near Shrewsbury. Mr Lloyd was a quaker wool merchant and founder of Lloyds Bank.
This house is depicted in a print of 1798 in the house ('The view of Pen-y-lan across
the Dee'), which shows that the main entrance was on the east side. In 1830 the house
was rendered, castellated, and given new windows, doors and a flat roof, thus turning
it into a Regency villa. The main entrance was moved to the north side. Later in the
nineteenth century a large extension was built in the same style to the west, but it was
mostly demolished in the 1950's and 1960's by Major Peter Ormrod.
house is set towards the west boundary. The northern part of the park is on the gently
rolling plateau above the valley, the southern part on the steep slope down to the river.
Two drives lead to the house from the north boundary of the park; the back drive from
Back Lodge south of Pen-y-lan village, and the main drive from the north-east corner
of the park. The first part of this drive, from the former lodge, is disused. The drive
winds along the lip of the Dee valley to the small gravel forecourt on the north side of
the house. A further drive winds down the steep slope above the river from the house
to a small lodge (Bridge Lodge, now converted to a modern house) and bridge over
the river. A farm track winds up the far side of the valley. It is thought that this was
intended to be a third entrance to the park, but it is unclear if it was ever used as such.
It is now only used as access to Bridge Lodge. The bridge has a wide span, and stands
on large round stone piers with conical tops, two on either side and one in the middle.
The original iron bridge was of carriage width, but had decayed to the extent of being
dangerous and was recently replaced by a footbridge. Parts of the old bridge remain at
either end, where there are also heavy iron gates.
The park is largely open pasture, with occasional isolated trees, and areas of planted
woodland. The northern half of the park is also broken up by small spinneys. A row of
oaks flank the west side of the southern end of the back drive, and just to the east of
the garden, north of the main drive, is a closely set narrow double row of eight large-
leafed limes. The 1778 survey shows a plantation, called the 'nursery', in this area, and
it may be that these trees are all that is left of it. The rows are too closesly set to be
part of an avenue, and there is a further lime offset from them.
with accommodation.
Edward Lloyd sold the estate to Roger Kenyon of Cefn Park, Wrexham, and from
1796 to 1837 it belonged to Edward Lloyd Kenyon (who changed his name to Lloyd
Lloyd), who made the park and altered the house. In 1854 the estate was sold to
Thomas Hardcastle, of Bolton, who married an Ormrod; it then passed to his brother-
in-law, and has been in the Ormrod family ever since.
The 1778 survey shows no evidence for a park, nor does the 1798 print. However, by
1853 (Sale Particulars, 13 July 1853) a park had been made, with the same perimeter
as today. The making of the park can be narrowed down to the beginning of the
nineteenth century through pencilled amendments to the 1778 survey dating to 1828
(tenements 'cleared for the park'), through the Ordnance Survey resurvey of 1836
which shows the park, and through tree-ring counting of felled and fallen trees which
indicates an average date of planting of about 1811. This makes it clear that it was
Edward Lloyd Kenyon (Lloyd) who created the park, giving it the basic configuration
of open ground and woodland that it retains today.
In 1889 All Saints church was built by James Ormrod, in memory of his wife, at the
south end of Pen-y-lan village. A straight gravel path was made from the north end of
the garden to the church, but this has now been grassed over.
A second major phase of development was during the ownership of Peter Ormrod,
between 1895 and 1920, when much tree planting took place.
His son ,Peter Charles Ormrod, was born and brought up at his family's estate of Pen-y-lan.
He died on September 2 2007 when the estate passed to his adopted daughter Emma Holloway.
In 2011, Pen-Y-Lan Hall was the subject of a Channel 4
television documentary presented by hotelier Ruth Watson
as part of her Country House Rescue
series.
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
house located near the village of Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
in Wrexham County Borough, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Pen-y-lan is a compact, square stuccoed and castellated house situated on high ground
overlooking the Dee valley to the south. Originally it was a brick house with basement
and pitched roof, built, it is thought, in about 1690 by Euble Lloyd, of Leaton Knolls
near Shrewsbury. Mr Lloyd was a quaker wool merchant and founder of Lloyds Bank.
This house is depicted in a print of 1798 in the house ('The view of Pen-y-lan across
the Dee'), which shows that the main entrance was on the east side. In 1830 the house
was rendered, castellated, and given new windows, doors and a flat roof, thus turning
it into a Regency villa. The main entrance was moved to the north side. Later in the
nineteenth century a large extension was built in the same style to the west, but it was
mostly demolished in the 1950's and 1960's by Major Peter Ormrod.
Location
Pen-y-lan has a medium-sized landscape park on the north side of the Dee valley. Thehouse is set towards the west boundary. The northern part of the park is on the gently
rolling plateau above the valley, the southern part on the steep slope down to the river.
Two drives lead to the house from the north boundary of the park; the back drive from
Back Lodge south of Pen-y-lan village, and the main drive from the north-east corner
of the park. The first part of this drive, from the former lodge, is disused. The drive
winds along the lip of the Dee valley to the small gravel forecourt on the north side of
the house. A further drive winds down the steep slope above the river from the house
to a small lodge (Bridge Lodge, now converted to a modern house) and bridge over
the river. A farm track winds up the far side of the valley. It is thought that this was
intended to be a third entrance to the park, but it is unclear if it was ever used as such.
It is now only used as access to Bridge Lodge. The bridge has a wide span, and stands
on large round stone piers with conical tops, two on either side and one in the middle.
The original iron bridge was of carriage width, but had decayed to the extent of being
dangerous and was recently replaced by a footbridge. Parts of the old bridge remain at
either end, where there are also heavy iron gates.
The park is largely open pasture, with occasional isolated trees, and areas of planted
woodland. The northern half of the park is also broken up by small spinneys. A row of
oaks flank the west side of the southern end of the back drive, and just to the east of
the garden, north of the main drive, is a closely set narrow double row of eight large-
leafed limes. The 1778 survey shows a plantation, called the 'nursery', in this area, and
it may be that these trees are all that is left of it. The rows are too closesly set to be
part of an avenue, and there is a further lime offset from them.
Estate
The estate has two farms, Home Farm and the Graig. It includes around 1,000 acres with frontage and fishing rights on the river Dee. There are also a number of workers cottages and a stable blockwith accommodation.
Family
During the eighteenth century Pen-y-lan belonged to the Lloyd family. In 1792Edward Lloyd sold the estate to Roger Kenyon of Cefn Park, Wrexham, and from
1796 to 1837 it belonged to Edward Lloyd Kenyon (who changed his name to Lloyd
Lloyd), who made the park and altered the house. In 1854 the estate was sold to
Thomas Hardcastle, of Bolton, who married an Ormrod; it then passed to his brother-
in-law, and has been in the Ormrod family ever since.
The 1778 survey shows no evidence for a park, nor does the 1798 print. However, by
1853 (Sale Particulars, 13 July 1853) a park had been made, with the same perimeter
as today. The making of the park can be narrowed down to the beginning of the
nineteenth century through pencilled amendments to the 1778 survey dating to 1828
(tenements 'cleared for the park'), through the Ordnance Survey resurvey of 1836
which shows the park, and through tree-ring counting of felled and fallen trees which
indicates an average date of planting of about 1811. This makes it clear that it was
Edward Lloyd Kenyon (Lloyd) who created the park, giving it the basic configuration
of open ground and woodland that it retains today.
In 1889 All Saints church was built by James Ormrod, in memory of his wife, at the
south end of Pen-y-lan village. A straight gravel path was made from the north end of
the garden to the church, but this has now been grassed over.
A second major phase of development was during the ownership of Peter Ormrod,
between 1895 and 1920, when much tree planting took place.
His son ,Peter Charles Ormrod, was born and brought up at his family's estate of Pen-y-lan.
He died on September 2 2007 when the estate passed to his adopted daughter Emma Holloway.
In 2011, Pen-Y-Lan Hall was the subject of a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television documentary presented by hotelier Ruth Watson
Ruth Watson
Ruth Watson , is an English hotelier, broadcaster and food writer.-Early life and career:Born in London, Ruth Watson was educated in London and at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire...
as part of her Country House Rescue
Country House Rescue
Country House Rescue is an observational documentary series which airs on British terrestrial television channel, Channel 4. The series has also aired on BBC Canada, ABC1 in Australia and Living in New Zealand....
series.