Plas Machynlleth
Encyclopedia
Plas Machynlleth was the Welsh
residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry, situated in the market town
of Machynlleth
in Powys
(formerly Montgomeryshire
), Wales
. It was brought into the family by the marriage of George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, Viscount Seaham and future Earl Vane and 5th Marquess of Londonderry
, to Mary Cornelia Edwards, whose father Sir John Edwards
had extended and renamed the house.
left Machynlleth on succeeding to the Marquessate, but his youngest son, Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest, remained resident at the Plas until he was killed in the Abermule train collision
on 26 January 1921.
The building of the house stretches over 200 years, with the oldest parts dating back to the 17th century while the main entrance front was added in 1853. The house was called Greenfields for many years. It was later re-named after the town.
The 7th Marquess of Londonderry
decided to give the mansion and its estate to the town, and the house was used for council offices. In 1995, after a £3 million refurbishment, funded by Montgomeryshire District Council and the European Union, the building became the ‘Celtica’ heritage centre. The attraction was successful for a number of years attracting tourist and educational visits and conferences. However, it was taken over by the new unitary authority, Powys County Council, and with little investment by the Council and declining visitor numbers the Council decided to close the centre in 2006, citing a loss of £1.1 million between 1998 and its closure. The Plas is now used as a community and meetings venue.
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...
residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry, situated in the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
(formerly Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
), 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...
. It was brought into the family by the marriage of George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, Viscount Seaham and future Earl Vane and 5th Marquess of Londonderry
George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry KP , styled Viscount Seaham between 1823 and 1854 and known as The Earl Vane between 1854 and 1872, was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, businessman, diplomat and Conservative politician.-Background and education:Born George...
, to Mary Cornelia Edwards, whose father Sir John Edwards
Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet, of Garth
Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet , served as Member of Parliament for Montgomery from 8th April 1833 to 23rd June 1841 and the Edwards Baronetcy, of Garth in the County of Montgomery, was created for him in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1838...
had extended and renamed the house.
History
The house was the family home of the 5th Marquess. His eldest sonCharles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCVO, PC, DL, JP , styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was an Anglo-Irish Conservative politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various capacities in the Conservative administrations of the late 19th and...
left Machynlleth on succeeding to the Marquessate, but his youngest son, Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest, remained resident at the Plas until he was killed in the Abermule train collision
Abermule train collision
The Abermule train collision was a head-on collision which occurred at Abermule, Montgomeryshire, Wales on 26 January 1921, killing 17 people. The crash arose from misunderstandings between staff which effectively over-rode the safe operation of the Electric Train Tablet system protecting the...
on 26 January 1921.
The building of the house stretches over 200 years, with the oldest parts dating back to the 17th century while the main entrance front was added in 1853. The house was called Greenfields for many years. It was later re-named after the town.
The 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
decided to give the mansion and its estate to the town, and the house was used for council offices. In 1995, after a £3 million refurbishment, funded by Montgomeryshire District Council and the European Union, the building became the ‘Celtica’ heritage centre. The attraction was successful for a number of years attracting tourist and educational visits and conferences. However, it was taken over by the new unitary authority, Powys County Council, and with little investment by the Council and declining visitor numbers the Council decided to close the centre in 2006, citing a loss of £1.1 million between 1998 and its closure. The Plas is now used as a community and meetings venue.
See also
Other residences of the Marquesses of Londonderry.- Londonderry HouseLondonderry HouseLondonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England.The house was the home to the Irish, titled family called the Stewarts who are better known as the Marquesses of Londonderry....
in London - Mount StewartMount StewartMount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of...
in Northern Ireland - Seaham HallSeaham HallSeaham Hall is now a spa Hotel in County Durham, England. It was once owned by George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry, although for much of his life he lived at Plas Machynlleth, his wife's home in Montgomeryshire....
in County Durham - Wynyard ParkWynyard Park, County DurhamWynyard Park, sometimes known as Wynyard Hall is a large country house in County Durham, England. The house used to be the family seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry, an Anglo-Irish aristocratic dynasty, but it was sold in the 1980s.-The house:Designed by Philip Wyatt...
in County Durham - Loring HallLoring HallLoring Hall is a Grade II listed building and private mental health care facility in North Cray, Kent.-History:The building, originally called Wollet Hall, was first constructed in 1760, and was between 1811 and 1822 the country residence of British Foreign Secretary Viscount Castlereagh...
in Kent