Pen y Bryn
Encyclopedia
Pen y Bryn is a two-storey manor house
, in Abergwyngregyn
, Gwynedd
, in north-west Wales
, adjacent to the A55
, five miles east of Bangor
, eight miles west of Conwy
. It is situated within Garth Celyn, a double bank and ditch, overlooking the Menai Strait
to Anglesey. A smaller house was immediately adjacent in 1810 when Colt Hoare recorded it; this was demolished by the mid 1840s. The present structure incorporates a stone tower, known locally as Tŵr Llywelyn, 'Llywelyn’s Tower'.
The site was acquired by Rhys Thomas and his wife Jane from the Crown in 1553. The central block and the northwestern porch are thought to date from the first phase of construction. The present roof timbers were felled between 1619 and 1624. The tower may be a slightly later addition, and there were further additions in the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is constructed mainly of rubble
, with roughly dressed quoins and a slate roof.
. It is scheduled by the Ancient Monuments Board as 'a site of National Importance'. Excavations were undertaken in the early 1990s by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
(RCAHMW), the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
, and its then owners. The complex included other structures, including a barn
or gatehouse
(possibly rebuilt about 1700 on earlier stonework) and a possible dovecote
(forming the base of the present tower), which predate the house. The report of the RCAHMW suggests, depending on a number of assumptions, that the site may have been the home farm of the demesne of Aber; similar examples are known from the fifteenth century. Nothing of definite medieval date has been found on the site.
. The Trust also identifies this as the site of the royal llys (palace) in the 13th century, the centre of government before the Conquest, and suggests that many notable events in Welsh history occurred here. The Trust reports that it has found letters in the Lambeth Palace
Archives from Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, written in November 1282 from Llywelyn's home, described as "Garth Celyn".
A report of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales accepts that the llys of Aber with its domestic and administrative buildings were located in the valley bottom, on the other side of the river from Pen y Bryn, by the mound known as y Mŵd
. High-status 14th century structures including a hall have been found there. In January 1993, the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust remained "unconvinced there is any evidence available at present to confirm or even suggest that Pen y Bryn was the location of the royal llys."
A medieval Palace of Aber features in the novels of Sharon Kay Penman, 'Here Be Dragons' and 'The Reckoning'.
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, in Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, in north-west 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...
, adjacent to the A55
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
, five miles east of Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, eight miles west of Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
. It is situated within Garth Celyn, a double bank and ditch, overlooking the Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
to Anglesey. A smaller house was immediately adjacent in 1810 when Colt Hoare recorded it; this was demolished by the mid 1840s. The present structure incorporates a stone tower, known locally as Tŵr Llywelyn, 'Llywelyn’s Tower'.
The site was acquired by Rhys Thomas and his wife Jane from the Crown in 1553. The central block and the northwestern porch are thought to date from the first phase of construction. The present roof timbers were felled between 1619 and 1624. The tower may be a slightly later addition, and there were further additions in the early eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is constructed mainly of rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
, with roughly dressed quoins and a slate roof.
Garth Celyn
Garth Celyn is a series of features, including Pen y Bryn itself, a large barn, and earthen terraces and scarps, collectively interpreted as an enclosure 90-100 metres across. The name "Garth Celyn" means "Holly Enclosure" in WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. It is scheduled by the Ancient Monuments Board as 'a site of National Importance'. Excavations were undertaken in the early 1990s by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body based in Aberystwyth, Wales. It was founded in August 1908...
(RCAHMW), the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust
The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust is an Archaeological Trust organisation established in the mid 1970s as part of the Welsh Archaeological Trusts....
, and its then owners. The complex included other structures, including a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
or gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
(possibly rebuilt about 1700 on earlier stonework) and a possible dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
(forming the base of the present tower), which predate the house. The report of the RCAHMW suggests, depending on a number of assumptions, that the site may have been the home farm of the demesne of Aber; similar examples are known from the fifteenth century. Nothing of definite medieval date has been found on the site.
Claims that the early mediaeval royal palace was located on this site
A royal llys (palace) of the Welsh princes was located at Abergwyngregyn. There are longstanding local traditions pointing to Pen y Bryn / Garth Celyn as its site. The home is currently owned and occupied by Kathryn Pritchard Gibson, who together with her husband Brian and daughters Hannah, Alex and Emily, acquired the manor in 1988. A charity, Ymddiriedolaeth Aber, the Aber Trust, exists to preserve the living history of the location. The Gibson family donated the barn/gatehouse and adjacent land to the Trust. The Trust has suggested that Garth Celyn derives its name from Celyn ap Caw, a legendary sixth-century chieftain with connections to the north-west corner of AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. The Trust also identifies this as the site of the royal llys (palace) in the 13th century, the centre of government before the Conquest, and suggests that many notable events in Welsh history occurred here. The Trust reports that it has found letters in the Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
Archives from Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, written in November 1282 from Llywelyn's home, described as "Garth Celyn".
A report of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales accepts that the llys of Aber with its domestic and administrative buildings were located in the valley bottom, on the other side of the river from Pen y Bryn, by the mound known as y Mŵd
Abergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
. High-status 14th century structures including a hall have been found there. In January 1993, the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust remained "unconvinced there is any evidence available at present to confirm or even suggest that Pen y Bryn was the location of the royal llys."
A medieval Palace of Aber features in the novels of Sharon Kay Penman, 'Here Be Dragons' and 'The Reckoning'.
External references
- Handbook for England and Wales
- "Practical Guide to North Wales" Henry Irwin Jenkinson, Fellow of the Royal Geographical and Royal Historical Societies, published 1878, page 114.
- http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?id=1231275316&aid=115435 Facebook page showing photographs of Garth Celyn.