Community reporter Jacqui Thomas delved into Plas Glyn-y-Weddw's history for BBC Radio Wales in 2006, in the company of former manager David Jeffries.
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Dilwyn Williams, chair of the Friends of Glyn-y-Weddw, spoke to Phil Carradice of Radio Wales' Past Master about the contribution the Cardiff entrepreneur Solomon Andrews made to the mansion.
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Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw Gallery recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, making it one of Wales' oldest art venues.
Plas Glyn-y-Weddw was built as a dower house in 1857 for Lady Elizabeth Love Jones Parry of the Madryn Estate. The structure is a Victorian Gothic mansion designed by Henry Kennedy and listed Grade II* by CADW.
The building has long been associated with art as it was purpose-built to house the widow's own art collection.
After Lady Elizabeth's death in 1883 her son Sir Duncombe Love Jones Parry, a baronet and MP for Caernarfon, who assisted in the founding of the Welsh colony in Patagonia, let the mansion to the Angerstein family, notable bankers and art collectors of Russian provenance. The elder Mr Angerstein was said to be a child of the Czarina Anna.
Today the only clues to the Angerstein's involvement with Glyn-y-Weddw are the gravestones of their dogs in the garden.
In 1896 the mansion was sold to the Andrews family of Cardiff. They were entrepreneurs who developed the West End of Pwllheli, established a horse drawn tramway to the gallery and opened the mansion to the public. The mansion offered art, music, dances and other entertainment.
After surviving two world wars the mansion was acquired by a Welsh artist Gwyneth ap Tomos and her husband Dafydd in 1979. They lovingly restored the gallery and founded Friends of the Gallery, who now number over 1,200.
In 1996 the gallery was acquired by a trust formed by the Friends, with Lottery, ERDF and other funding and in the following years major restoration took place.
Today the gallery is a thriving arts centre, with its own picture and print collection and an important display of Swansea and Nantgarw porcelain on loan from the Andrews family, descendants of the same Solomon Andrews who first opened the gallery to the public.
It also houses two sepulchral monuments of local Welsh saints from the 6th century and an exhibition of the mansion's history. Gwyn Jones
your comments
Ian Robertson, Australia
My mother was the secretary in Pwllheli to Mr AJ Clarke who was the architect for the Butlins holiday camp when it opened in 1948. He lived in Glyn-y-Weddw for some years. They had open days in the summer raising money for charity, Mrs Clarke used to pose in the drawing room with a spinning wheel. They renovated the boat shed called the Foxhole for her mother to live in.
Mon Jun 15 10:06:32 2009
Hilary Chester
It is a magical place. We used to bring our children and the dog in the 60s. The groundsman used to feed pheasants outside the buildings near the gate - Mr Jones was it?- and spend hours doing the grass as there were no houses then. The kids loved to jump off the ha-ha and the dog was ecstatic when we walked through the wood to the wooden man on the top of the cliff
Tue May 27 09:35:21 2008
megan parry llanbedrog
plas is a spectacular place with lovely pictures in the gallery, the authentic fireplace in the hall is fabulous, so are the stained glass windows.
Mon Mar 3 13:17:19 2008
Augusta B Belgium
I remember the dog's graveyard. Most of the dogs were Pekes. There also used to a long narrow goldfish pond. I remember swimming its entire length in the moonlight back in the sixties.
Fri Jan 25 09:03:30 2008
Bob Jones from New Zealand
I remember Plas Glyn-y Weddw in the late forties, my father R R Jones was in charge of major structural work there. He mentioned that he set out the main staircase which apparently was quite a showpiece when completed, although unfortunately I never saw it!
Thu Jan 10 09:09:49 2008
Albert Gomperts Antwerp
Yes I have often been to the Plas. We are members, and have purchased several works there. The recovery of the Plas after years of neglect and disinterest was the remarkable achievement of Mr and Mrs Dafydd ap Tomos, who eventually had to relinquish their control over the Plas's future.
Without Dafydd's single-minded vision and dedication the Plas would never have got off the ground.
I fear his and Gwyneth's achievement is not sufficiently appreciated.
Mon Feb 26 09:50:38 2007
