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History
The two photos here were taken from the same spot
130 years apart.
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That so little has changed is in part due to the
property staying in the hands of the same family.
The old photo, taken in 1870, shows the present
owner's great-great-grandfather, Hugh John
Reveley, with one of his six daughters. In 1851
he made additions to what his father had had
built between 1803 and 1809. The rounded part of
the building behind him is Flat 2. Flat 3, the
west wing of the house, is hidden beyond Flat 2,
but the cottages can be seen running on from the
top of the incline. The last photo on this
History page (which reveals a bit of Flat 3 with
its round window) shows one of the few changes in
the two photos above as it was actually happening
- the addition of a small window to the nearest
of the cottages.
Hugh John wrote and illustrated an eight-volume
diary, the chief source for Pamela's delightful
book which touches among other things on the
striking stained glass window and the unusual
belfry. [No, it was never a church; but Yes, we
do have bats - a bat is even featured in the
plaster plaque which hangs on a wall the
terrace/garden side of the house.]
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The
stained glass window is one of 1851's additions
to the house and is particularly striking when
lit from inside at night. One of our guests was
an expert in heraldry and after his stay was kind
enough to send us a full interpretation of the
window's heraldic symbols which are all to do
with the family history. |
Jane
Owen, the Welsh heiress on the cover of Pamela's
book (copies still available!), grew up from an
orphan to be the wife of Hugh John's father, Hugh
Reveley who had Northumberland connections. Soon
after their marriage on 11th January 1803 they
started to build Brynygwin close by to Jane's old
home so that they would have a new house in a
more commanding position (the new may no longer
apply, but the view - wow!). They took up
residence in their new home in 1806, and it has
stayed in the family ever since.
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We have placed below, side by side, pictures of
the old and of the new family home.
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Brynygwin Uchaf on the left, dating back into the
16th century and earlier, was built as a town
house on Dolgellau's outer limits. You pass it on
the old driveway walk into town.
Brynygwin Isaf (ours) on the right was built in
Neo-Grecian style. It was and still is a truly
country house surrounded by garden, fields and
woodland. Building continued on from the right of
the picture after 1806 until about 1809 (Flat 2).
Enlargements were put in hand in 1851: verandah
replaced by entrance hall, staircase widened with
heraldic stained glass window added, and roof
raised in front of belfry to same height as the
rest of the roof thereby creating a second top
bedroom in Flat 2. And still the house grew...
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diaries never told us when Flat 3 was added (to
the right of Flat 2, not visible in the picture
above), but the mystery was solved during recent
repair work. Here is what we found in the year
2000 written in pencil on the back of one of Flat
3's doorway pedestals. |
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The year 1872 may also hold the secret of the
Brynygwin plaque mentioned above as featuring a
bat. On July 28th 1872 Hugh John Reveley lost his
sixth daughter aged just two and a half. Less
than two months before that, on June 6th, a much
longed-for only son had been still-born with the
result that the descent, which had passed through
the previous 9 generations down the male line,
now switched to the female side of the family.
You may be able to see in the plaque two little
ones being carried in the arms of an angel.
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On its way down
to Gilbert Gauntlett, its present owner, the
property passed from Hugh John Reveley on his
death in 1889 to his eldest daughter Fanny, and
on her death in 1942 to her eldest son Algy. He,
after its use for 3 years in the war as NAAFI
headquarters, sold it to his eldest sister Sybil
and her husband Herbert Scott. Herbert outlived
Sybil, and on his death in 1958 Brynygwin passed
to their daughter Hetty, their son Tom having
been killed in the war. In the early 1960s Hetty,
who is Gilbert's mother, turned the then mainly
roofless service buildings (haylofts, stable,
brewery and laundry) into the character cottages
which it has been part of Gilbert's and his wife
Pamela's work to refurbish, maintain and market -
in connection with which, do come and see it all
yourself for real!
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For those of whatever age interested in the
history and legends of the land, there are
memorable experiences to be enjoyed at King
Arthur's Labyrinth at Corris 12 miles
away, and at Celtica in
Machynlleth 17 miles away.
Making history with its exploration of
sustainable solutions to the environmental
problems of our time is the Centre for
Alternative Technology, half-way between
Corris and Machynlleth.
The websites for these are:
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