# Baron Hill Mansion, Anglesey, North Wales, July 2020



## HughieD (Sep 26, 2020)

*1. The History*
Baron Hill Mansion lies parkland to the north of Beaumaris, Anglesey. The first house at Baron Hill was built by Sir Richard Bulkeley in 1618. During the English Civil War, Richard Bulkeley's successor, Colonel Thomas Bulkeley apparently invited King Charles I to take possession of the house and set up his court there. In the early eighteenth century the house was the seat of Richard Bulkeley, 4th Viscount Bulkeley who maintained Jacobite sympathies.

An old drawing of the manor:


2020-09-26_10-22-25 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The house was then reconstructed in 1776 by architect Samuel Wyatt in a Neo-Palladian style with its curved façade, terraces, follies, and balconies. Additionally, an icehouse in the gardens and a lodge house were also constructed. In the nineteenth century the occupants of Baron Hill remained the dominant Anglesey landowners, possessing estate also at Llanfairfechan and other parts of Caernarfonshire.

Old map of the estate:


2020-09-26_10-23-19 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Royal visitors in the shape of King Edward VII:


2020-09-26_10-30-44 by HughieDW, on Flickr

During World War I, death duties exhausted the family fortune and made it impossible for the family (by then known as the Williams-Bulkeley’s) to maintain the house. Like many large country houses during the Second World war, it was requisitioned by The Royal Engineers in 1939 and used as temporary housing for Polish soldiers. They found the home too cold and decided to start a fire within the mansion so they would be moved to new accommodation. The fire destroyed a large part of the interior and the soldiers achieved their aim and were removed from the house but only to tents in estate’s grounds. The mansion was then abandoned afterwards and is still to this day.

Post-second world war, the manor was a ruin:


2020-09-26_10-29-58 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Baron Hill has been a Grade II Listed Structure since 1950. In August 2008, very ambitious plans were submitted to restore the house and turn it into luxury apartments, but predictably, nothing ever came to fruition.

A couple of archive pictures of the mansion, back in the day:


2020-09-26_09-25-35 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron-hill 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

*2. The Explore*
If you are on Anglesey, like Porth Brickworks, this place is something of a rite of passage. It’s a well-trodden path to this place but it is no less enchanting because of that. Having parked up on the road and walked up the hill I came to the overbridge and up and round. Instead of heading in the direction of the house I first headed in the opposite direction, past the overgrown lodge in search of an icehouse I’d found on the old maps. After a while I came across it’s retaining wall and after a bit of a scramble I was up and in. It was a bit of the estate that most people don’t see.

Then it was on to the main attraction. It’s pretty much far gone but very photogenic (although, not easy to photograph). Spend the best part of an hour here and didn’t see a soul. 

*3. The Pictures*

Walking up the road to the overbridge:


Baron Hill 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

First up is the lodge. Very overgrown and hard to photograph:


Baron Hill 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Then on to the icehouse:


img7830 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7831 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The back to the gardens of the main house:


img7840 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 17 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And the stunning colonnade:


Baron Hill 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The on to the servant’s quarters:


Baron Hill 12 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7851 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Then the main house itself:


img7856 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7860 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7862 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7864 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7866 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7868 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7869 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Possibly the only bit of original ceiling plaster left in the whole house:


img7876 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Baron Hill 15 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img7856 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## OcB86 (Sep 28, 2020)

Beautiful and fascinating


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## BikinGlynn (Sep 28, 2020)

Looking at before & after its unbelievable how things can go like this!


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## verdigris (Sep 29, 2020)

great pics and interesting history, shame to see it so degraded. The house is probably beyond repair, but a local volunteer group could rescue some of the gardens and the best of the architecture eg the colonnade....? obviously a long term project 
love the tea party, those hats !


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## cornish_snowdog (Oct 5, 2020)

Fascinating! 
How deep is the Icehouse?


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## HughieD (Oct 6, 2020)

Deep enough that if you fell into it you'd be struggling to get out!


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## Dirus_Strictus (Oct 7, 2020)

It's funny how the official report as to the cause of the fire has changed over the years - from a burning log falling out of an unattended grate, to an act of arson by Polish Troops. Cold as it may have been, Baron Hill was a Palace and a Haven when compared with what those Poles had just escaped from and been through.

After the War many Poles went on to work in the Yorkshire Mines, and my home town of Doncaster had a largish Polish population. Three such families lived in our street and their stories made horrific listening!


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## fluffy5518 (Oct 9, 2020)

Another cracking report Mr D ... !! I have been saying it for years but when im next up there i need to take a day off from slate quarries to go do this .. !!


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## Darklldo (Dec 22, 2020)

HughieD said:


> *1. The History*
> Baron Hill Mansion lies parkland to the north of Beaumaris, Anglesey. The first house at Baron Hill was built by Sir Richard Bulkeley in 1618. During the English Civil War, Richard Bulkeley's successor, Colonel Thomas Bulkeley apparently invited King Charles I to take possession of the house and set up his court there. In the early eighteenth century the house was the seat of Richard Bulkeley, 4th Viscount Bulkeley who maintained Jacobite sympathies.
> 
> An old drawing of the manor:
> ...


The tea party is interesting. I think the lady on the right of the photograph is not very pleased with the gentleman on the left of the photo... could he have put whisky in his tea?  
The photos are great. I can't get over the amount of growth in the vines and trees. What a pity it has gone to wrack and ruin, it must have been beautiful in its heyday.
Thank you for my tour, it's great to be able to see these places.


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## HughieD (Dec 22, 2020)

Darklldo said:


> The tea party is interesting. I think the lady on the right of the photograph is not very pleased with the gentleman on the left of the photo... could he have put whisky in his tea?
> The photos are great. I can't get over the amount of growth in the vines and trees. What a pity it has gone to wrack and ruin, it must have been beautiful in its heyday.
> Thank you for my tour, it's great to be able to see these places.


Pleasure mate. Glad you enjoyed it...


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## FunkyMuffin (Dec 22, 2020)

Great report. Love this place and have been a couple of times. Did you find the wine cellar?


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## HughieD (Dec 22, 2020)

FunkyMuffin said:


> Great report. Love this place and have been a couple of times. Did you find the wine cellar?


Actually, now you mention it, no I didn't. Any pictures?


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## FunkyMuffin (Dec 23, 2020)

HughieD said:


> Actually, now you mention it, no I didn't. Any pictures?


I myself didn’t get any useable photos as of course it was pitch black and bitterly cold. Steam from ones breathing ruined the photos. My friend did send me her phone shots. Access can be found by jumping in the ditch shown on your last photo and following it to the end.


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## HughieD (Dec 23, 2020)

@FunkyMuffin wow! Missed them. Thanks for the info and pictures. I guess it's a bit you know about or don't rather than stumble across. Makes sense. What large self-respecting stately home wouldn't have a wine cellar!


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## FunkyMuffin (Dec 23, 2020)

HughieD said:


> @FunkyMuffin wow! Missed them. Thanks for the info and pictures. I guess it's a bit you know about or don't rather than stumble across. Makes sense. What large self-respecting stately home wouldn't have a wine cellar!


We also didn't enter the property the way you seemed to have? There's a public footpath and we parked in a neighbourhood. Had to use Google maps to guide us the rest of the way. I really like how you add old photos of the places into your reports.


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## HughieD (Dec 23, 2020)

FunkyMuffin said:


> We also didn't enter the property the way you seemed to have? There's a public footpath and we parked in a neighbourhood. Had to use Google maps to guide us the rest of the way. I really like how you add old photos of the places into your reports.


Archive pictures really add context for me. Sometimes they exist, sometimes they don't. I have to say, for Baron Hill, there was an embarrassment of riches!


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## RalphWiggum (Dec 23, 2020)

I desperately want to visit Baron Hill- my great-great grandmother was a Williams-Bulkeley but met my great-great grandfather and immigrated to the US in the 1870s/1880s. There are several OLD family photos (back in the states- I've actually pulled the reverse of her and gone from the US to the UK!) of Baron Hill (and Beaumaris, Llandegfan..) and it's on my "to-do" list however I'm absolutely certain that I'm not the only person with a genealogical interest in it.. and that if caught it'd do nothing to help my case!


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## NorthWalesYorkie (Dec 23, 2020)

Excellent report with the old photos providing context. It's a few years since I last visited but was unaware of the wine cellar. I'll have to go again but will wait until it's drier underfoot.

Someone I know got chased off twice, once by the police and once by Bulkely himself so he gave up. This would be around the time of this scheme, which seemed hopelessly ambitious considering the current state of the building.








Luxury apartments plan for Baron Hill mansion


A MULTI-MILLION pound bid to turn one of the great lost homes of Wales into luxury apartments has been resubmitted by Watkin Jones.




www.dailypost.co.uk


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## Roderick (Dec 23, 2020)

I really enjoy reading your reports, the background research and historical inserts make all the difference. It's good when people add extra bits to the picture (like the wine cellar and family connections), makes it feel like being part of a group of friends with common interests.


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## Judderman62 (Dec 25, 2020)

Good ole Baron Hill. I rather like this place, I've been twice but not for a good few years. Nice report and pics as always Highie.


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## night crawler (Dec 26, 2020)

Looks an interesting place to walk around, Never knew about the place when I went to Anglesey or I may well have had a nose around. Here is a map of the place, no public footpaths.


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## HughieD (Dec 27, 2020)

Judderman62 said:


> Good ole Baron Hill. I rather like this place, I've been twice but not for a good few years. Nice report and pics as always Highie.


Cheers mate. Real bugger to photograph, this one...


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## jaynedev1988 (Dec 27, 2020)

Brilliant photos and history! Thank you, what an incredible place to see. Great images


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## waveydave (Dec 27, 2020)

Excellent report sir. I never found the ice house, think i walked straight past it. Itching to get back here, want to see if the fountain is still there.


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## HughieD (Dec 28, 2020)

jaynedev1988 said:


> Brilliant photos and history! Thank you, what an incredible place to see. Great images





waveydave said:


> Excellent report sir. I never found the ice house, think i walked straight past it. Itching to get back here, want to see if the fountain is still there.


You're both very kind. Many thanks...

At @waveydave Re: the fountain, must have walked close to it. Forgot to investigate on its current status!


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