Mortuary Chapel, Vaynol Estate

[Rosemary]

Last weekend, I took a trip to Anglesey, I have working dogs, who need lots of exercise!
I decided with the weather being tropical, that I would stay away from the tourist hotspots, and wander a little off the beaten track.
Across a field and into a woodland, I stumbled across this beauty! Completely unaware of its existence, I have since done some digging online and found some interesting information out on it.
Its actually the mortuary Chapel for the assheton Smith family.
It was built in 1880, in the style of Victorian revival gothic, and the architect was Henry Kennedy of Cardiff.
It is grade two listed, the current estate is contained within a seven mile boundary wall, that includes no less than thirty listed buildings.
Vaynol Hall was built in 1793 and extended during the nineteenth century. The owners were prominent slate quarry owners, and were the largest land owners in the area. The original Vaynol Hall became a farmhouse.
So this is the resting place of the assheton Smith family of vaynol Estate.
Apparently as far as I can gather the family memorials have been removed.
It has a pitched natural slate roof, in fish scale arrangement.
Colonnaded octagonal Bell Tower, and canted Chapel.
Rock faced masonry walls, with cut stone dressings.
Pointed arch gothic window's, with cut stone tracery and quarterfoil lights.
And absolutely incredible building, hidden deep in the woods.

 

[Wrench]

That looks interesting, I assume you couldn't get in?

Thanks for posting and cracking history

 

[Lavino]

Surely you could have got in through the massive hole in the door.

 

[BikinGlynn]

Very nice that

 

[Helena]

me and my brother went in today, its not even a chapel, it's a mausoleum. there is a long deep tunnel that leads from inside to an extensive tunnel system underground. It got too small and claustrophobic for us to go down all the way but better equipped next time, we will see howdeep we can go...

 

[BikinGlynn]

me and my brother went in today, its not even a chapel, it's a mausoleum. there is a long deep tunnel that leads from inside to an extensive tunnel system underground. It got too small and claustrophobic for us to go down all the way but better equipped next time, we will see howdeep we can go...

I wouldnt bother Its not an extensive tunnel system, it simply goes round in a square around the sealed crypt itself.
looks like people have tried to chip away at parts to get into the bodies as some folk are that way inclined.

 

[Helena]

I wouldnt bother Its not an extensive tunnel system, it simply goes round in a square around the sealed crypt itself.
looks like people have tried to chip away at parts to get into the bodies as some folk are that way inclined.

Have you been in all the way? Where does the smallest tunnel lead?

 

[BikinGlynn]

Have you been in all the way? Where does the smallest tunnel lead?

Iv been down the stairs inside the mausoleum which just goes round in a square round a sealed room where the caskets will be, but may be other tunnels you know of?

 

[Helena]

Iv been down the stairs inside the mausoleum which just goes round in a square round a sealed room where the caskets will be, but may be other tunnels you know of?

You have to literally crouch and crawl your way down a teeny tiny tunnel, with our phone torches we couldn't see the end of it so with a headtorch next time we might be brave enough. It looks pretty secure but I am terrified of the whole thing collapsing! It's in the far corner

 

[BikinGlynn]

You have to literally crouch and crawl your way down a teeny tiny tunnel, with our phone torches we couldn't see the end of it so with a headtorch next time we might be brave enough. It looks pretty secure but I am terrified of the whole thing collapsing! It's in the far corner

so where is this tunnel inside the mortuary? or somewhere else in the ground?

 

[Helena]

so where is this tunnel inside the mortuary? or somewhere else in the ground?

Yep it's all the way through the main tunnel, it's around 3 bends underneath the mortuary. You access it through the main entrance

 

[BikinGlynn]

Yep it's all the way through the main tunnel, it's around 3 bends underneath the mortuary. You access it through the main entrance

Cool but weird I can't rember seeing it & I would of been straight in there as I'm.not adverse to tight spaces lol

 

[night crawler]

Where the hell is it?? We could not find it!!

Don't ask, Look like I did and it is not on Anglesey looking at OS maps, I even found it on Google Maps

 

[Hayman]

Don't ask, Look like I did and it is not on Anglesey looking at OS maps, I even found it on Google Maps

British Express - passionate about British heritage - states:

The Vaynol estate lies on the mainland side of the Menai Strait [my emphasis] and comprises over 1000 acres of parkland, including a garden laid out in Elizabethan times, parkland designed in 1820, and woods dotted with a castellated tower, mausoleum, and boat house. The parkland is contained within a stone wall 7 miles long, and holds over 30 listed buildings including a chapel and medieval tithe barn.

Google Maps has it east of the Menai Strait, west of the A487, and south of the North Wales Expressway.

 

[TeeJF]

Nice. Shame the scumbags have broken in. No respect for the dead.

 

[Dieselcat]

I wouldnt bother Its not an extensive tunnel system, it simply goes round in a square around the sealed crypt itself.
looks like people have tried to chip away at parts to get into the bodies as some folk are that way inclined.

Creepy!