North Wales

Penrhyn Castle

Founded by Ednyfed Fychan, who died in 1246 and was Seneschal and General to Prince Llywelyn the Great, Penrhyn Castle started out as a fortified medieval manor house and later in 1438, the stone castle was founded. Around 1770, Lord Penrhyn built a Gothic style castle and then about 50 years later this was then engulfed along with the Medieval manor house by the existing castle. Penrhyn Castle is a great example of early 19th century neo-Norman architecture funded by the vast fortunes built from the profits of Welsh slate and Jamaican sugar and the West Indian slave trade.

The family coat of arms and motto
"ACQVO ANIMO" (Take Courage)
(Click for a larger image)

Penrhyn Castle

The existing castle was built between 1820 and 1837 out of Angelsey limestone. It was designed by Thomas Hopper who was a foremost architect of the time and funded by George Hay Hawkins [Pennant] (1764-1840) who had come into the vast estates of his cousin Richard Pennant (1739-1808), who was the first Baron of Penrhyn, and so Hawkins had taken the additional surname.

Richard Pennant was a highly skilled entrepreneurial Liverpool merchant and owner of five Jamaican sugar plantations and made his fortune through this and the quarry industry, which was run by his stuard William Williams, (1738-1817) on a purely capitalistic basis, and resulted in permanent changes to the infrastructure of the industry.

The Views

The castle has commanding views out over the sea as far as the Great Orme and magnificent views over the Snowdonia countryside and mountains.

The view out over the sea towards the Great Orm
(Click for a larger image)

The Great Orm (10x magnification)
(Click for a larger image)

The view out over the sea towards the Great Orm
(Click for a larger image)

The view from the entrance
(Click for a larger image)

The main gates

The main gate
(Click for a larger image)

The clock tower
(Click for a larger image)

The main entrance

The entrance gallery was one of the last bits to be completed and was used to boost the impression created by the main hall.

The lead up to the main entrance
(Click for a larger image)

The main entrance doorway with the entrance gallery to the right
(Click for a larger image)

One of the ornate gargoyle carvings around the door
(Click for a larger image)

The Towers

The Ice Tower

The ice tower was used as a ice store (as the name suggests). Below the tower is a pit that would be lined with straw and then filled with ice. This would then be dug out and used whenever ice was needed in the house.

One of the main towers
(Click for a larger image)

The ice tower
(Click for a larger image)

The Library

The Library is richly decorated and has the feeling of a Gentleman's Club with a billiard table, which has a unusual slate frame along with it's bed, and reading and writing room in the base of the tower.

The Keep

This was the main living area of the castle containing bedrooms and family rooms. This includes "The King's Bedroom" and this was used by the Prince of Wales in 1894 and the "Slate Bedroom" containing an ornately carved slate bed.