Pantglas Hall walk

I asked to be dropped off here this morning, so I could start my walk up and around the back of Pantglas holiday village, then down through it and back along the steep hill I regularly walk.  On my 1:25,000 map this used to be called "Black Lion" so I am assuming it was a pub at some time in the past. For many years when we first moved here it was empty and becoming quite derelict.  Then someone bought it (cheaply I imagine) and did it up and then it was sold on and someone with sense has come along and replaced the concrete mortar with proper lime mortar throughout, and doubtless done a sympathetic restoration inside too.  It is now called "Preswylfa".  Sounds nice but simply means "Residence"!

The lane ahead.

There are Celendines flowering everywhere now and the Primroses fast catching up.

This is the farm entrance to Ty-lwyd, with lovely views across to Black Mountain.  This translates to Grey House.

A view across the fields to the right of Ty-llwyd, looking along the ridge which backs Black Mountain.

I loved the sun shining on the moss on these trees.  Like a Pre-Raphaelite style painting.

Llywnfedwen (I think) in the distance.  This appears to mean "shrubbery"! according to the translation tool I am using.

A misty Black Mountain again.

Through the trees, the Italianate tower which is all that remains of the once-splendid Pantglas . Although on a very much earlier site (dating back to Llewellyn Foethus of Llangathan (1330-1350).  He has links with our house too.

This is "just" the stable block, now housing a restaurant, gym and coffee house.  When the children were smaller we would come up for the Pantglas firework display on 5th November.  A fabulous setting.

A little pond which once fed down steps into the lake, which is on a lower level the far side of this pretty bridge.

The lower lake, which has some lovely specimen tree plantings including a huge Weeping Beech (below).

Through the trees again, all that remains of the house.

It looked better through the trees.  How are the mighty fallen . . .  The refashioning of the old mansion took place after Pantglas was sold by Nicholas Burnell Jones (who succeeded to Pantglas in 1806).  He became High Sheriff in 1814. The new owner was David Jones, of Blaen-nos, Llandovery, who was a wealthy banker, and who decided to demolish the old mansion and build a new house on three storeys, with this tall tower in the centre, very much in the Italian style.  His son was also a High Sheriff in 1845, as well as MP for the county between 1851 and 1868.  His son was also High Sheriff in 1887, although he died unmarried in 1903 and bequeathed the house to his sister.  The house was sold on again in 1920 and became a hospital run by the County Council until 1972, when it was sold privately to a "speculator", who subsequently demolished the house (bar for the tower) and the estate became home to various holiday homes built in the Swiss Cabin style and available by Time Share. . . . .  It roughly translates to "blue dip".  Pant is dip and glas is blue.

Looking towards Llanfynydd - which translates roughly to  "Llan" - meeting place, and "fynydd" is mountain.

Finally a view up the Cothi valley as I was walking down the steep hill leading to it. 

Thanks to "Historic Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families" by Francis Jones for the information on Pant Glas.