"During a recent walk along a public footpath, I managed to unwittingly venture off the path and find myself face to face with what appeared to be the secreted edifice of a large house. As I moved tentatively closer, the trees exposing more and more of the structure with each new step, the identity of the building became more and more apparent to me. It was no less than a Gothic Mansion. Immediately my attention was drawn to the feature of a three-storey Bell tower to the right side of the building on top of which stood a large clock face. Everywhere on the building there were wonderful carved features, jagged turrets and ballastrades and the whole architectural design was of a Gothic nature displaying great strength and nobility. The whole demeanour of the structure was very imposing and yet it was also strangely captivating. On closer inspection I realised that it must have been derelict for quite some time as through the smashed windows, I could see evidence of dry rot that was beginning to set in at the very heart of its foundations. As I continued to walk around this new discovery it became clear that the building was even larger than I first realised. I had approached the Mansion from the East-Wing but as I followed the contours of the wall around the corner I reached the front elevation of the property with its surrounding terrace and large stairway which was even more impressive than anything I had seen until then. The property itself was surrounded by huge unkempt gardens that looked as though they had once been very beautiful. Further down, beyond the lawn, the undergrowth appeared so thick that I would have needed a sharp scythe or similar object to have cut through much of it, should I have desired to wander down there. Not carrying any such implements anyway, I turned my attention back from the garden to the Mansion once more. I wondered who used to live in such a place and what had become of its previous tenants. Why had they left it to rot and ruin like this? Then another thought occurred. What if someone still lived there, even now as the building stood, in its dishevelled state? It could be possible that some small corner of this magnificent structure was still inhabitated. If so, then I could be seen as a trespasser. But what sort of a strange creature would live here now, in these conditions? Suddenly, while still perusing the question, I imagined I saw the silhouette of an old woman walking across one of the broken windows in the attic. Was there someone moving around up there or was it just the atmosphere of the place making my mind play tricks on me? I decided it was best to take leave of the situation just to be on the safe side and so I started to make my way back down the track I had first come up...."
Now maybe some of you reading this are thinking this is an excerpt from a 19th Century Gothic Horror story or something similar. Maybe you are immediately aware by the poor grammar, that in reality, this is my own colourised version of a recent experience I had. The discovery I made, not far from where I live, of an amazing Gothic Mansion. I later found out it is a place called Hafodunos Hall and is a Grade 1 listed building of great Historical significance. What was even more surprising about the discovery to me is that it is located in a part of North Wales famous for fields and grazing sheep but certainly not Gothic Mansions. This would be the last place on earth anyone would expect to stumble across such an amazing place as Hafodunos Hall. I can't emphasise how much atmosphere oozes out of every crevice of this Mansion and its surroundings. Stumbling across this treasure is like taking a stroll back in time to the 19th century or wandering upon a scene from a Dickensian Novel. Most of all though, because of the Gothic architectural nature of the Hall, it's like finding the remains of a set from a Hammer Horror Film. As I wandered around, I half expected to see a black-cloaked Christopher Lee gliding past me, or the above mentioned old woman's silhouette passing in one of the many spooky attic windows. The saddest thing though is the condition that the hall has been allowed to fall into over the past 10 years or so. Not only is the whole of the property in a bad way, but its also suffering from several areas of dry rot. After doing some research over the internet to get more information on the Hall I discovered two web-sites dedicated to everything about it. The good news is that it looks like there is to be a conservation project to renovate the Hall and return it back to its former condition. Visit the links below to get more detailed information on the Hall, its history and the future plans in the pipeline. Any kind of support towards the process of renovation and conservation would also be very welcome, I'm sure, by the various committees. Hafodunos Hall is a beautifully designed and artistic structure from another era. It is a Grade 1 listed building that has unfortunately fallen on bad times. Surely, we are capable in the 21st Century of conserving and maintaining such buildings for us and future generations to enjoy and have a window on a previous Century in History. As the saying goes "They just dont build them like that anymore!!"
Recently I returned for a second viewing of the Hall, this time with my trusty digital camera. Go to my photos section to view the results of the photo-shoot. Hopefully, the pictures will give some idea of the splendour and atmosphere of this amazing place. They will also show you though, unfortunately, just how dilapidated the Hall has become over the years....
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