Radnorshire Arms
Encyclopedia
The Radnorshire Arms is a well-preserved Jacobean
building in the Welsh
border town of Presteigne
, in Powys
, and the hub of its tourist industry. It is unique for an extensive network of subterranean passages and dungeons, used during the English civil war
for the torture of Parliamentarian
sympathisers by William Vavasour, the Royalist
governor of Hereford
. It also sits on one of the earliest sewers
in Wales
which is now kept on permanent display for visitors. It is named after the former county of Radnorshire
.
The building has a troubled history. During the 18th century it was briefly owned by Sir Henry Vaughan
, who was mobbed and lynched on the premises. His dismembered remains are buried beneath a cherry tree in the grounds.
A partial structural collapse in 1927 killed 14 local people. A fire five years later devastated a historic windmill
on its grounds. Bobby Millichamp, the farmhand tried and hanged for causing the blaze, was later proven innocent. His brother, Arthur, was tried and hanged for the same offence in 1936.
In recent years, the Radnorshire Arms has been renovated and converted into an upmarket public house
and hotel
.
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
building in the Welsh
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...
border town of Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
, 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...
, and the hub of its tourist industry. It is unique for an extensive network of subterranean passages and dungeons, used during the English civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
for the torture of Parliamentarian
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
sympathisers by William Vavasour, the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
governor of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. It also sits on one of the earliest sewers
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
in 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...
which is now kept on permanent display for visitors. It is named after the former county of Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
.
The building has a troubled history. During the 18th century it was briefly owned by Sir Henry Vaughan
Henry Vaughan (1721-1754)
Sir Henry Vaughan was a Radnorshire landowner. In March 1754 a warrant was issued for his arrest for committing 'unnatural and repugnant acts'...
, who was mobbed and lynched on the premises. His dismembered remains are buried beneath a cherry tree in the grounds.
A partial structural collapse in 1927 killed 14 local people. A fire five years later devastated a historic windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
on its grounds. Bobby Millichamp, the farmhand tried and hanged for causing the blaze, was later proven innocent. His brother, Arthur, was tried and hanged for the same offence in 1936.
In recent years, the Radnorshire Arms has been renovated and converted into an upmarket public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
.