Bodelwyddan, Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales
BUILT: Unknown
STATUS: Still standing
History
Bodelwyddan was bought from the Humphreys by Sir William Williams, who was the Speaker in the House of Commons from 1680 to 1681. The castle was reconstructed by Sir John Hay Williams between 1830 and 1852 with the help of architects Joseph Hansom (inventor of the Hansom cab) and Edward Welch, who refurbished and extended the house. This occurred even despite the decline of the Williams’ family fortunes since 1850, which occurred due to the loss of income from lead mining, the family’s main income.
The castle is noted as one of Hansom’s most ambitious projects. Further work on the castle happened in the 1880s by Sir Herbert the 7th Baronet who had inherited the estate from his cousin, who was heirless.
By World War I, the castle had become a hospital for wounded soldiers to recuperate, and the grounds were used to train soldiers from the nearby Kinmel Camp for training in trench warfare (the trenches can still be seen today). By the 1920s, the Williams-Wynn family had to lease the castle to the Lowther College, a girls private school, due to the high cost of the estate’s maintenance.
Sources
- Official Site. “Paranormal,” www.Bodelwydan-Castle.co.uk
- Wikipedia. “Bodelwyddan Castle,” www.Wikipedia.org
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