Boy! Did you ever see such a place?

We have some walkers from Oregon and the Carolinas in the U.S. with us at the moment. I picked them up from Bangor Station and en route to Nefyn we called at Plas Glynllyfon. And they were impressed. Big time! It was the seat of the Barons Newborough, the Wynn dynasty also from Bodfean and now of Rug. Built in the mid 19th Century it exudes class and wealth and sits amidst impressive grounds. There is nothing else like it on the Llŷn. The introduction of death duties and the social impact of two world wars made it increasingly difficult to support the big estates, so in 1948 Thomas John Wynn sold the site to timber merchants from Meirionydd who felled much of the woodland. They subsequently sold it to Caernarfonshire County Council and it became an agricultural college. Glynllifon College is now part of Coleg Meirion Dwyfor a sixth form college of higher education. The main house looks empty, but it is gradually being converted into a hotel and restaurant.

If you fancy a good meal or tea in classy surroundings then this is for you. The garden remains a Grade One listed garden with Giant Redwood and Cedar trees. There are arboretums, modern sculptures, a child size mill folly, a Mausoleum, a Hermitage gothic folly, a children’s boathouse and fountains and cascades, and a craft centre, design workshops and a café.