23-465: Gregynog ( Welsh pronunciation: [ɡrɛˈɡənɔɡ] ) is a large country mansion in the village of Tregynon , 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Newtown in the old county of Montgomeryshire, now Powys in mid Wales . There has been a settlement on the site since the twelfth century. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth century it was the home of the Blayney and Hanbury-Tracy families. In 1960 it
46-400: A number of internationally renowned statisticians, some of which include Henry Daniels , David Cox , Peter Bickel , David Kendall , George Barnard , John Nelder , Brad Efron , Adrian Smith , Peter Donnelly , David Spiegelhalter and Julian Besag . The Hall continues to operate as an historic house conference centre and now wedding venue, offering tourist accommodation for visitors to
69-891: A pair of cottages. One of oldest buildings is the Old School House, also known as "Tithe Barn", now divided into two homes, located alongside the remains of a medieval fort with earthworks near the Bechan brook. Some of the straighter local roads are likely to be of Roman origin - leading to Llanfair Caereinion in particular . Further from the centre of the village are a number of Farms including Ty'n y Bryn, Neuadd Llwyd, Cefn Llydan, etc. National nature reserves in Wales National nature reserves in Wales are selected and designated by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) (formerly
92-620: Is a fact that the Temperance Hotel existed from at least the 1880s. They used their money and influence to promote their faith by regular Chapel attendance and encouraging this among their tenants and employees and paying for the erection of the Manse near to the Bethany Chapel and installing its organ. They gave refuge to wounded soldiers in both World Wars and established a printing press and local choir. They left their home to
115-584: Is a small village and community in Montgomeryshire , Powys , Wales, to the north of Newtown and south west of Welshpool . The population of the community was 892 at the 2011 Census. It rests on the B4389 road which runs from Bettws Cedewain to New Mills . The country house Gregynog is nearby. The village is named from the eponymous 6th-century Saint Cynon and the Parish Church, which
138-513: Is basically pre-Reformation but heavily "restored" in the 19th century, and is built on an oval shaped hillock of pre-historic significance, is named in his honour. In November 2020 it was announced that St Cynon's Church would close due to falling attendances and fundraising difficulties. However, the church council hoped the building would become a 'Pilgrim Church' open for services such as marriage blessings, funerals, plus private prayer, as well as concerts, meetings and community events. However this
161-412: Is not possible due to restrictions Church of England place on smaller churches. The church is still hoping to remain open with fewer services in the year. There is also a Calvinistic Methodist ( Presbyterian Church of Wales ) Chapel called Bethany. Thomas Olivers (1725–1799), a Methodist preacher and hymn-writer came from Tregynon. The nearby country house is Gregynog Hall , which dates from 1840; in
184-522: The Countryside Council for Wales ). There are 76 reserves all of which are also SSSIs , they cover 26,536 hectares (265.36 km ), or less than 1.5% of the land area of Wales. They range in size from Dan yr Ogof at 0.5 hectares (5,000 m ) to Berwyn which covers 7,920 hectares (79.2 km ) . A national nature reserve is designated because of its special biological, geological, habitat or landscape value and most in Wales are open to
207-412: The 19th century it was the seat of the Blayney ( Blaenau , originally) Hanbury-Tracy families and became the centre of Welsh cultural life in the 20th century under Miss Margaret and Miss Gwendoline Davies, who had inherited the fortune of their grandfather David Davies of Llandinam. Although it is commonly thought that they made the village alcohol-free and made the local pub into the Temperance Hotel, it
230-665: The King's Music). Many famous names are associated with the Gregynog Festivals, including Gustav Holst , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Edward Elgar and Sir Adrian Boult . The Festival is still held at Gregynog every June. In more recent years, leading international artistes have performed at Gregynog, including Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears . The sisters also established the Gregynog Press , which still exists under
253-551: The National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. Theirs was one of the most important British collections of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting acquired before 1920. Their advisor Hugh Blaker was the younger brother of their governess Jane Blaker. The French collection was only one aspect of their interests – it hung at Gregynog alongside Old Masters, prints by Dürer, Rembrandt and Whistler, Chinese and Islamic ceramics, contemporary hand-made furniture commissioned by
SECTION 10
#1732794614966276-661: The ecological importance of the grounds, especially the ancient woodlands, has led to their designation in March 2013 as a National Nature Reserve . The training apiary of the Montgomeryshire Beekeepers Association is also situated in the Gregynog grounds. The "Gregynog Statistical Conference" has been held annually over Easter at Gregynog Hall since 1965. Established by Dennis Lindley during his tenure at Aberystwyth, Gregynog Hall has welcomed
299-474: The gardens and grounds. Following institutional changes within the University of Wales the future of Gregynog as a national centre for excellence in the arts, education and culture of Wales is soon to be protected by its establishment as an independent charitable trust. 52°34′03″N 3°21′08″W / 52.56750°N 3.35222°W / 52.56750; -3.35222 Tregynon Tregynon
322-532: The local primary school, Ysgol Rhiw Bechan , for the area as well as the Village Community Hall are attractions to outsiders to settle. The centre of the village retains its old charm with the Rectory, Church House, old School displaying traditional mid Wales half timber framed black and white dwellings and innovative early use of concrete - the latter also found on the outskirts of the village in
345-478: The name of Gwasg Gregynog , and is famous for its limited edition hand-printed books with fine bindings and exquisite wood-engraved illustrations. Gregynog is also home to the annual Young Musicians Competition which attracts participants from all over Wales and beyond. Since Margaret Davies's gift of Gregynog to the University of Wales in 1960, the hall has hosted conferences, seminars and summer schools from every academic discipline. The growing understanding of
368-601: The neighbouring Boncyn y Beddau hill ["The Bonkin" in English]. The Brook, known as the Bechan in Welsh, is an eventual tributary of the Severn and provided power for the local Sawmill, now owned by Coed Cymru. The latter decades of the twentieth century saw an expansion of the population of the village with many houses and bungalows being built in the low-lying fields and being given Welsh names (e.g."Tan-yr-Eglyws"). The presence of
391-466: The sisters, Welsh vernacular furniture as well as contemporary ceramics and crafts. Seen as a whole, the sisters' collections are a tribute to the multiplicity and Catholicism of their tastes. The Gregynog Music Festival , Wales's oldest surviving classical music festival, was established in 1933 by the Davies sisters, with the advice of their friend and advisor, Sir Henry Walford Davies (later Master of
414-436: The surrounding area in the village of Tregynon and the policy of the local authority to make bilingualism its aim. The village was touched by the last Welsh Revival of 1904-05 and many of the children converted at the time kept the memory alive until the end of the century. The Bethany Chapel was predominantly English in worship and instruction but there were some Welsh classes and the lively singing in both languages echoed out to
437-510: The surrounding countryside. At its largest, the Gregynog estate was over 18,000 acres (73 km) in extent, but the estate was broken up in 1913, leaving the mansion with 750 acres (3.0 km) of farms, woodlands and formal gardens. The sunken garden and arboretum are of particular note. The gardens and park are listed at Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales . Gregynog
460-472: The university of Wales and a cultural, educational and retreat centre. Tregynon boasted a number of prolific local families in the agricultural and local industrial 19th and 20th centuries, including the Williams, Stephens, Thomas and Corfield "clans". The use of the Welsh language, which had declined during the 19th century, has increased over recent decades due to the position of the local Primary School for
483-546: Was bought by Margaret and her elder sister Gwendoline Davies in 1920 with the intention of establishing a centre of excellence for the arts, crafts and music which would enrich the lives of the people of Wales in the aftermath of the World War One. It became famous for music, fine printing and for the sisters' art collections which they bequeathed to the nation. These can now be seen in the Davies Galleries of
SECTION 20
#1732794614966506-522: Was rebuilt in the 1840s by Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 1st Baron Sudeley . Its concrete cladding, designed to replicate the black-and-white timber-framed architecture of Montgomeryshire farmhouses, is among the earliest examples of concrete use in building in the modern era. The Sudeleys were also pioneers of the use of concrete in the building of new cottages and farmhouses on the Gregynog estate, and many Cadw -listed examples can still be seen in Tregynon and
529-461: Was transferred to the University of Wales as a conference and study centre by Margaret Davies , granddaughter of the nineteenth century industrial magnate and philanthropist, David Davies 'Top Sawyer' of Llandinam . The gardens and park surrounding the house are listed at Grade I on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales . The original mansion
#965034