I've researched the history of Plas Kynaston from when it was built to the middle of the nineteenth century. The early history of the area is not documented widely. In the 1450s or 60s Sir William Stanley took possession of the land but he was later beheaded for his involvement in the rebellion of Perkin Warbeck. The land was then seized by the Crown and re-distributed to, amongst others, the Salisburys and the Eyton family and it's through the Eytons that the Kynastons took possession of the land. This was through a marriage settlement in the early 1600s.
It's not known precisely when the hall was built but it was some time in the early seventeenth century. The first Kynaston to become Squire was Roger Kynaston. He married Ann, the daughter of Roger Eyton.
My own early memories of Plas Kynaston are from when I was a boy and it was the local library. I'm not sure of the lady's name but I think it was Miss Butler who was the librarian. You walked through the entrance hall and the library was in the room on the right. In the entrance hall there's a very unusual staircase, which is basically slabs of stone which stick out from the wall and are unsupported on the outer edge, so walking up stairs meant you were stepping from stone to stone.
I can't understand why it's left to be so neglected and derelict. It can be seen standing amongst graffiti and casual litter.
The Squires of Plas Kynaston
Very little is known about the early history of this land. However, according to A. N. Palmer, 'Cristionydd' was a territory once held by a local tribal leader called Cristion. In medieval times, this area was known as 'Cefn-y-Carneddau' and 'Tir-y-Gellach.' It formed part of the early townships of 'Cristionydd Kenrick' and 'Coed Cristionydd.' Deeds held in the Shropshire Archives show that in 1581, following an Act of Treason committed by the knight Sir William Stanley in 1495, some of these lands were seized by the Crown and later redistributed. This land was partly in the possession of the Eyton family and other holdings were in the hands of Puleston and Lloyd families. During the early modern period the area became a massive industrial complex and adopted the name Plas Kynaston. However, today the area is occupied by the village of Cefn Mawr and generally the name 'Plas Kynaston' is used only to describe this dilapidated building.
For over 200 years, Cristionydd Kenrick was the home of the Kynastons; they were a branch of the Moreton family and could trace their lineage back to the Duke of Gloucester. Although they were the local squires, the Plas Kynaston estate was small by any standards and in 1620 held a mere 72 acres of land. Nevertheless the ambitious Kynastons held high office within the local community and in 1643 John Kynaston was a Justice of the Peace for the Ruabon district. The Hearth Tax Assessment Records of the late 17th century show that Plas Kynaston had seven fireplaces and was the largest house in the township of Cristionydd Kenrick.
The Kynastons were members of the Welsh gentry for they complied with Sir Thomas Smith's description that a gentleman 'can live idly and without manual labour'. However, any attempt at deciding whether this particular family should, or should not, be included in any particular category of the Gentry would inevitably lead to serious debate and possibly even disagreement. Dennis Davies, in his work on the history of Plas Kynaston, confronted this matter with typical shrewdness and concluded that although the Kynastons were the local squires, in comparison to the Wynns of Wynnstay and others, they were in truth 'petty squires.'
your comments
Susan Beattie, Newcastle
I grew up in Cefn and lived there until I was 18 yrs old. I remember this house very well from my childhood. It was a library when I was very small and then I remember the Brownies/Guides used to meet there and then I think it was used by a playgroup. I used to think it was haunted back then and for some reason believed it was haunted by a lady named Sally for some reason who had died in a fire there years before. Now I believe that it is nothing more than a lovely old building that has unfortunately not been looked after. Why not? I believe it dates back a few hundred years so surely steps should be made to restore it. It just seems a waste of something which has so much history about it. Everyone from Cefn and those who have moved away now seem to remember it and have memories of it. Maybe something should be done so that it is remembered by the children who are growing up in Cefn now.
Tue Jun 16 08:16:53 2009
Adam Leigh Kynaston Reeves
I am a descendant of the Kynaston lineage, but know next to nothing about it. I had no idea about this old house. My grandfather was Phillip Kynaston Reeves, a great name of 20th century British theatre. He featured in a wonderfully trashy 50s sci-fi horror movie called The Fiend Without A Face, playing the mad professor who accidentally unleashes a bouncing brain-like monster. He was also in the original BBC series of the Forsyte Saga, and has an argument with Sid James in Carry On Regardless!
Wed Jun 3 09:00:29 2009
Samantha Davies, Shropshire
Having researched the history of the Kynaston family for many years, I enjoyed this read. Though having not visited Plas Kynaston myself, it's nice to read other people's comments. Perhaps one day I may visit the old house myself, as it's possible it was the home of my ancestors.
Fri Jan 9 13:38:43 2009
Chris Madsen
My dear mother used to dose my sister and I with syrup of figs, oh dear. My sister Marilyn and I always went to Cefn Library past Theo's Buses from our Plas Isaf home. I hardly got to the top of the lane when the worst happened. Now stop laughing. I waddled home, crying all the way, no book and a good smack for what I considered not my fault. My children called it syrup for pigs!
Thu Oct 2 08:16:47 2008
Alun Salisbury, Cardiff, formerly Cefn Mawr
Margaret Richards – as a young boy I used to look forward to collecting the walnuts with my father. On the down side my fingers were stained brown for what seemed like weeks after attempting to retrieve the nuts from the husks.
Tue Aug 19 08:16:40 2008
Margaret Richards [Wright]
When I was very young I used to visit my grandfather William Wright, who lived in Bro Gwilym. He used to sit in an old armchair at the back of Plaskynaston Hall smoking his pipe. The back of the hall was still there but almost derelict. If I remember rightly he was looking after the orchard but I don't recall who for. My father said during the war when he could not get any tobacco for his pipe he would smoke dried walnut leaves. This would have been sometime during the early '50s when I was there.
Wed Aug 13 07:51:26 2008
Kath Jones/Roux
My earliest recollections of Plas Kynaston were during the summer holidays. Searching for a book in the library that would take me to another country, or how to grow flowers. Books in hand, sitting on the bench watching the men perfecting their crown green bowling skills. Winner was always given a polite round of applause, but I was never privvy to, neither did I ask if they were playing for recognition or money. Either way, every-one seemed to leave happy.
Thu Jul 3 09:21:17 2008
Chris Madsen
Rather than let this lovely hall fall down why don't the council convert it into flats without taking away its many lovely features. I would love to live there.
Wed Jun 18 09:01:40 2008
Jackie
This was very interesting to read. I grew up in Cefn and attended Brownies there and it was a lovely building but I heard there was a lady haunting it and you could hear her scream. What a shame that it has been left to go to ruin they should have spent the money on this, not the old chapel. Imagine sitting outside overlooking the bowling green and park, having a nice drink. No, instead you have to look at the grubby Hollybush - big mistake.
Wed Feb 27 09:42:12 2008
Brian, Caernarfon
According to an article in the latest Railways and Canal Historical Society journal, in a paper on Thomas Telford, James Hazeldine and John Simpson, who were all friends, architects and engineers, it quotes on p.674 'The ironwork was cast at Hazeldine's foundry at Plas Kynaston, and carried by canal and sea to Dornoch Firth (Scotland, to build the Bonar bridge). Hazeldine was born in Shawbury, near Shrewsbury in 1763, and died in 1834. In the foundry at Plas Kynaston, Hazeldine cast the iron linigs for both the Chirk and Froncysylte aqueducts. He later become Mayor of Shrewsbury in 1836 (Whig). His first major ironwork contract was for the first multi storeyed iron framed building in the world (forerunner to the skyscraper) the Ditheringon Flaxmill in 1797. There is no indication he was related to the Kynaston dynasty.
Sun Nov 18 16:46:29 2007
Katie
As I can see by all of your comments on many occasions me and some friends have walked past and thought we all saw a distant light in the top left window - this was going back 2000 at about 12:30am.
Wed Nov 7 08:12:49 2007
Chris Madsen, Acrefair
When I was a child Plas Kynaston Hall was our library, also a reading room upstairs, and I think my Dad used to go there to pay the "tontine" which was a sort of insurance which you could claim off if you were off sick to save claiming off the parish as my Dad called it. Maybe someone could enlighten me further on that.
Thu Oct 25 14:03:32 2007
Stephanie Jones - Cefn mawr
I have lived in Cefn Mawr for 28 years and as a child growing up I always used to think that this building was haunted, with a lady who used to sit in the window in a wheelchair. I run a disco dancing school in the George Edwards Hall but have always been really interested in looking into who owns this building to see if we could get grants to revamp this beautiful building and create a wonderful dance school here. If anyone knows please let me know.
Wed Oct 24 10:29:26 2007
Chris, Acrefair
For Tracy, you would have an old man in Plas Kynaston Hall because it was used as a meeting room for OAPs upstairs and a play group downstairs at that time.
Tue Sep 11 08:33:47 2007
Tracey Gough Wrexham
I remember this house as being where we used to attend Girl Guides in around 1973. I was in Snowdrop group and all I remember about this building is that we used to say it was haunted! Looking from the outside up to the right of the building the upstairs window, we could always see a man smoking a pipe there. Looking back now I wonder if that was a schoolgirl prank but I do recall being able to see this old man! Does anyone have any recollections of this house as once used by Girl Guides?
Mon Mar 12 08:46:55 2007
Susan Swete Davies, Sevenoaks
My grandmother Dorothy Hunt was the daughter of Isabelle eyton and grew up at Boreatton - other houses in the family at that time were Plaish Hall, Walford Hall and Eyton Hall - I assume it is the same eytons who are connected to the kynastons by marriage?
Thu Feb 22 09:50:47 2007
Hon. Lord David R Kynaston
Always interested in learning more about the family and its fragmented but interesting history.
Tue Feb 6 10:28:44 2007
John Hunt now living in Germany
My great great grandmother was Sarah Ann Kynaston, born Ruabon abt. 1830 - married to Simeon Jones born Llanrhaedr Yn Monchant about the same date. At one time they lived at Kynaston Hall (unsure exactly) and in 1861 were living in Stryt Issa. After Sarah Kynaston's death, Simeon Jones moved away to Thornaby-on-Tees with children Caleb, James and Sarah Ann Jones (my great grandmother.) Family members had often talked about a distant relative being the 'Squire of Kynaston Hall'. Now I know a lot more - thank you.
Mon Dec 11 10:12:24 2006
Mark
Are there any pictures of the stair case? Love to see it, passed there many, many times. Lovely old house, going to waste...
Mon Aug 21 11:00:51 2006
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