Rhiwlas | |
---|---|
Type | House and garden |
Location | Bala |
Coordinates | 52°55′12″N 3°35′53″W / 52.9201°N 3.5981°W |
Architect | Clough Williams-Ellis |
Governing body | Privately owned |
Official name | Rhiwlas |
Designated | 1 February 2022 |
Reference no. | PGW(Gd)25(GWY) |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Quadrangular Stable Complex at Rhiwlas, including Y Stablau and Stablau Isa |
Designated | 31 January 2001 |
Reference no. | 24621 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Game Larder at Rhiwlas |
Designated | 31 January 2001 |
Reference no. | 24622 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Ice House at Rhiwlas |
Designated | 31 January 2001 |
Reference no. | 24625 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Gateway and Screen Walls to Rhiwlas |
Designated | 31 January 2001 |
Reference no. | 24597 |
Rhiwlas is an estate about 1 km (0.62 mi) to the north of the town of Bala, Wales. It has been in the possession of the Price family for over four centuries. Rhiwlas Hall, a Regency extravaganza, was demolished in the 1950s and replaced by a smaller house designed by Clough Williams-Ellis. Many of the estate buildings remain and are listed structures and the hall's gardens and landscaped park, landscaped by William Emes, are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
The Price family have owned the Rhiwas estate since at least the 1540s.[1][2][a] Richard John Lloyd Price (1843-1923) was a noted sportsman, who hosted the UK's first sheepdog trials at Rhiwlas in 1873.[4] Robin Price, the 15th generation of his family to farm at Rhiwlas, died in 2016. The estate remains privately owned by the Price family.[5]
The 19th century Rhiwlas Hall was a large building constructed in 1809. RCAHMW describes it as being "three-storeyed and castellated with turrets",[6] while Cadw considers it was a "enormous rambling mansion".[7] The architect is unknown. Thomas Rickman undertook some work on the estate at the time of the reconstruction, including the entrance gate,[8] but Pevsner does not ascribe the house to him.[3] The hall was demolished in 1954, having suffered both wartime requisition and dry rot. The replacement, designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, is considered by Richard Haslam, Julian Orbach and Adam Voelcker, writing in their 2009 volume, Gwynedd in the Pevsner Buildings of Wales series, to be among his best work.[3]
The gardens were designed by William Emes and are designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.[7]
A number of historic estate buildings survive and are listed, all at Grade II. These include; the game larder,[9] the ice house,[10] the castellated stables,[11] and the main gateway and estate walls.[8]