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Plas-yn-Rhiw

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davidx
davidx
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
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8
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Editor Pick

Plas yn Rhiw

  • September 26, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
Plas yn Rhiw

Plas yn Rhiw is westwards along the coast from Porthmadog and is renowned for its staggering views over Cardigan Bay. It’s been in the hands of the National Trust since 1952 when a family of three sisters from Nottingham bequeathed it. In the 1930’s the sisters had clubbed all their funds together to buy the dilapidated house that they’d fallen in love with in their many holiday visits to the area with their mother. Their father an influential and affluent Nottingham architect had died when they were children and the three of them decided they were going to leave a worthwhile memorial to the whole family – the house at Rhiw.

It felt a long haul across the peninsula to Rhiw and although a brown National Trust sign pointed the way we were faced with several choices of turn as the road meandered and t-junctions appeared. Moe than luck than by judgement we climbed the steep hill up to Rhiw top before taking a sharp turn, off the main road, down a very narrow gated road to the house. There was a small car park (well the numbers of visitors won’t be huge) and we took the short walk back down the track, pausing to appreciate the view over Cardigan Bay, to the house.

Admission is just over £3.00 a person (free to National Trust Members) and soon we were appreciating the country splendour of this small compact farmhouse. Apparently there’s been a building on this site since mankind began and it’s strongly believed that house’s foundations could even date back to Roman times. What is clear is that the more significant dwelling is Elizabethan and it was a long thin two storey building with a stone spiral staircase (still there today) accessed from the side of the sitting room fireplace. Apparently there was a stone watch tower on the top of the house and these stairs lead to the “new addition” of the third floor 17th Century extension.

For over 10 centuries the house was owned and occupied by one family whose origin was that of Welsh royalty. They had significant land attached to the house and so this prime spot was real useful in spotting pirates or likely invaders and if necessary marshalling the workforce to “take up arms”. Over the years parts of this large plot was sold off and to the Keating’s credit they tried their best to restore as much of the estate to their holding to ensure it integral “value” for the National Trust.

The sister’s real love was gardening and on a bright September’s day we were able to enjoy the twists and turns of this well laid out country garden. Well manicured hedges guided us along narrow footpaths and this natural “cultivated garden” was full of little surprises. Take the upper trail and you’re soon into the Keating estate and the opportunity to walk the public footpath along the upper route over the bay.

From journal Portmeirion and Beyond

Editor Pick

Plas yn Rhiw

  • September 26, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
Plas yn Rhiw

Inside the house at Rhiw you’re straight into a seated reception room and this together with the room to the left is part of the original Elizabethan farm house. It’s furnished exactly as it would have been when it was owned by the three Keating sisters and I was assured that nothing has been "brought in" or indeed taken out since the bequest was made to the National Trust. A large stone fire place was the centre piece of the room to the left and this with three bow back Victorian dining chairs was clearly the family dining room. Through the window was a first-class view over the garden with just a glimpse of Cardigan Bay.

Leading out of the original farm house we noticed a particularly ornate door which apparently reclaimed from a local castle that was being systematically torn apart. It actually looks if it was meant to be here at Rhiw. The chunky kitchen had nothing modern about it and a very basic "valour" oven (very similar to one my grandmother had) with a range of separate gas canisters was the sisters only means of cooking a meal. There’d be no take-a-ways here!

Up the "new staircase" and there were a couple of bedrooms and a small study. The smallest bedroom had real character with a patchwork bedspread, Miss Keating’s fur coat and her dressing gown. It was a compact bedroom, but now the view over the Bay is even better. A book of postcards lay tantalisingly open in the larger bedroom – just demanding to be thumbed through, but a note from the custodians cautioned against this. Half way up the stairs was a grand-mother clock with its polished wood standing majestically and resplendently in a place that you could not fail to view it. Indeed it was on this part of the staircase that two Victorian candle holders with cut glass pendants cast numerous rainbows across the staircase. We were fortunate to be visiting at the precise time that the sun light hit the glass. I could almost imagine the sisters meeting on the stairs to enjoy this phenomenon.

Heading upstairs to the top floor were a series of water colours by Honora Keating who when she visited Rhiw occupied the top floor (she spent most of her life as a nurse in London). Up here is by far the best view and the room was set up almost as a bed sitting room. Indeed it’s only in the bedrooms that we saw comfortable easy chairs so perhaps the sisters only met up over dinner!

We were told that the garden was the love of their life and a small "hidden" garden room would have given them, on a decent day, some splendid views in the heart of their creation. Plas yn Rhiw offers a view of a comfortable, but basic lifestyle enjoyed by a family in this rural outback of Wales. Try to see it as its simpleness is really quite haunting.

From journal Portmeirion and Beyond

Plas-yn -Rhiw

  • June 9, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by davidx from Todmorden, United Kingdom
This is a National Trust property. It is a small manor house set in beautiful grounds with fantastic views out across Cardigan Bay. The house was largely built in the 16th century, though additions were made in the Georgian period. It was bought in about 1930, in very dilapidated condition, by three sisters, the Keatings, who restored it to the wonderful place it is today. In spite of its small size, it contains some outstanding furniture and china. The ornamental gardens contain much of interest as well: flowering trees, box hedges and numerous herbs.

I do not know how to set about describing the atmosphere which is a major part of its appeal. I only know that we have been many times and I hope we shall continue to do so.

One sad point is that at the time of writing, the lovely road up to the headland, Mynydd Penalfrynydd, and on to Aberdaron, is closed on account of a landslide.

From journal Lleyn Peninsula, Gwynedd

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