Plas Pencraig, Llangefni in 1959,

by Gordon Weare
(New Zealand)

I grew up on the new Pencraig Estate and watched it all being built on what was, when we arrived, total countryside.

Pencraig housing estate evolved from the nearby Plas Pencraig, a mansion, then semi-deserted in our early days. We used to play in all the woodlands, orchards and its fruit. By then, the relics of a bygone age.

The Plas faced Snowdonia, intentionally designed and overlooking the generally flat, but wavy island of Anglesey - or Ynys Môn to us locals. Among the overgrown ivy, crumbling walls, trees etc, I could easily deduce what the Plas must have been in its hey day.

Impressive, well-manicured and beautiful. The gravel road led from the lodge-house Gatekeeper, through the rhododendron dell, arriving by horse drawn coach, it went to the rear, for the stables. The big trees nearby must once have been nurtured shrubs and there was a fenced-off waterpump in the well-house where the House staff got their water. It faced the high walls of the orchards.

Underfoot were the downed headstones of the Plas pets covered in moss. Into the orchard door there was a small, stone handbasin in the wall. Whether it had religious significance, I don't know. The last I saw of it was in St.Cyngar Church entrance.

The first walled orchard had a lillypond, with a statuette, and water spouted out of it in its day, we found the tap, but it did not work. In spring the lillypond was thawed out and it was clogged with toads & spawn.

A summer house, with tiles (then falling off) separated the orchard from yet another, wall fruits grew up its walls, apricots etc, but needed attention.

Where the lillypond was, a circle of flowers marked the spot. Further down, towards what was to become an Agricultural College was - a rabbit warren, and must have been kept by a 'Warrener' or maybe a gamekeeper.

Horsechestnut trees with conkers abounded and produced many a winner in the schoolyard conker championships.

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Dear Gordon,

Thank you very much for not only sharing your memories but for the delghtful photographs you've been sendng of your family now and, as here, then.

I have photographs of the Plas Pencraig Mansion as it is today and I'll post it in the comments section link below when I found them.

I get the impression that your twin brother, Andrew is too preoccupied with chasing moose in the Alaskan Wilderness to write, but we can hope.

Thanks so much for bridging geography and time.

May I also take this opportunity to request of others who spent their youth in Llangefni to write in with their memories of Plas Pencraig and of their adventures in the woods below it, Coed Pencraig.

Wil