Author Topic: Quiz Time!  (Read 825886 times)

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Offline spotty dog

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3495 on: May 24, 2020, 10:29:26 am »
RSPCA Bryn y mean ?

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3496 on: May 24, 2020, 11:48:15 am »
Another good guess Spotty Dog but it's not correct.

I wonder how many forum members in their younger days have staggered past this building and not noticed it!            $drink$       


Offline Cambrian

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3497 on: May 24, 2020, 12:08:15 pm »
Good clue Hugo.  I don't remember it being so pristine in my rare excursions to the 1590 - it may have still been in agricultural use then.

It is on the road to the holiday park/Penrhyn Old Hall.


Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3498 on: May 24, 2020, 12:46:09 pm »
Well done Cambrian       $good$

I haven't got a clue what the building is or what it was used for  in the past but I went to Batty's Nurseries and thought that it would be ok for the quiz

Further up the lane before you get to Penrhyn Old Hall is believed to be the original St Mary's Chapel built in 1447.   Sadly now though it is just a ruin but it was used by local people until 1930

Offline Cambrian

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3499 on: May 24, 2020, 02:46:48 pm »
Hugo, I agree- it is a great pity that the old chapel has fallen into such disrepair.  As far as I know it is a scheduled ancient monument so you would have thought that Cadw might take an interest.  Unfortunately they seem reluctant to become positively involved in monuments that are privately owned.

I think there have been four small books relating to the Old Hall and the chapel. The last one, undated, but probably from the early 1990s contains the final sentence: "The proceeds of this booklet will go towards the restoration of the chapel which is situated in the grounds of Penrhyn Old Hall". The accuracy of this booklet is undermined by the following howler:

"In 1760 Penrhyn Hall became the home of Dr John Williams, Archbishop of York and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal to King James l"

In reality, Archbishop John Williams, a notable native of Conwy, died at Gloddaeth in 1650.  He had no connection with Penrhyn Old Hall but owned the original manor house on the site of what is now Penrhyn Castle!

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3500 on: May 25, 2020, 03:14:49 pm »
Norman Tucker wrote a few books on Dr John Williams and Chris Draper mentions him in his book "Walks from Conwy"
He was born on 25th March 1582 at Parlwr Mawr in Chapel Street and the house survived until 1948 when It was demolished.    It was offered to the Council for restoration and conservation but the Council declined the offer
A decorative mantelpiece went to Birmingham, a fireplace to Gwydir Castle and the fine oak panelling to America
Dr John Williams is noted for his switching sides during the Civil War

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3501 on: June 07, 2020, 05:18:51 pm »
I came across this unusual building recently but where is it and what is it?

Offline spotty dog

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3502 on: June 07, 2020, 05:54:19 pm »
I think I know where that is  Hugo ,we have discussed it's use on the forum some time ago.
I will leave it for others 😁

Offline SteveH

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3503 on: June 07, 2020, 05:55:46 pm »
Arrow slits...........  Gwrych Castle   ?

Offline DVT

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3504 on: June 07, 2020, 06:13:30 pm »
On Esgyryn Road leading up to Pydew from the A470, just below the obelisk ... bunker that looks up the valley so would have a good sighting of any planes heading down!

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3505 on: June 07, 2020, 06:24:04 pm »
Spot on DVT, well done         &well&

There is a single World War II pillbox in the area, looking down the Conwy Valley .      I've copied that bit and it was also in Chris Draper's walking book but to me those slits in the building give a better view of the Mochdre Valley than  Conwy Vallet

You have a very good memory Spotty Dog but can you remember the next one?

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3506 on: June 07, 2020, 06:27:25 pm »
Where in the Three Towns area is Vining Street?

Offline Cambrian

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3507 on: June 07, 2020, 07:15:36 pm »

Just referring to the building opposite Pabo Bach on the road to Pydew. This is nothing to do with WW2 despite what Chris Draper says.  It was a small reservoir built by Bugbaird of Carenarfon in the late 1880s for the former Conway Rural Sanitary Authority. The openings were for ventilation. The 1911 edition of the OS map shows it marked as "Tank". There is a similar one of the same vintage at the junction of Bryn Pydew Road and the lane leading down to Wiga.  A now demolished version used to be situated on the "green" in the centre of the hamlet.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3508 on: June 07, 2020, 10:51:48 pm »
Cambrian,   I remember years ago when you got the answer to the water tank above Wiga you mentioned then about a similar water tank on Esgyryn Hill and I remembered that as I was following the walk described by Chris Draper in his book.     That book was compiled using the help and support  from Enid Powell of Bryn Pydew,  Glenda Watson ex of Bryn Pydew and Dorothy Owen also of Bryn Pydew and a few other local people who would have known the area
Having said all that I agree with you and I think the front of the building is just a facade to make it look like some form of fortification.  It has no defensive qualities and those small slits look towards Mochdre not the Conwy Valley.
I stuck my smaller camera through those slits to take a picture of the inside of the building and you can see the curved brick roof which is a similar feature to the water tank at Wiga.      I also tried to find the back of the building but didn't fancy going through the undergrowth so I gave up on the search
There may or may not be a Pill Box at Esgyryn but it wouldn't have been sited there for obvious reasons but I'm of the same opinion as yourself and that it is an old water tank.
I have attached a couple of links the first is from the Gwynedd archaeology Trust and it does mention a Pill Box but doesn't give the exact location.   The second link agrees with what you have said

http://www.heneb.co.uk/hlc/creuddyn-arllechwedd/creu22.html

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1016687841936592896

Offline Hugo

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Re: Quiz Time!
« Reply #3509 on: June 08, 2020, 08:19:58 am »
The winner of the last quiz was DVT so well done but I think that Cambrian also deserves a special mention for correctly identifying the true purpose of that building
When history is recorded sometimes it can be distorted but it should really be accurate.

After taking photos of the building I went up to see the obelisk, now that would have been a perfect spot for a WW 2  lookout post or even a Roman one!
Now this is just food for thought, but in the first link I provided the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust  said "  There is a single World War II pillbox in the area, looking down the Conwy Valley "
So is there actually a WW 2 lookout post up there somewhere or did the trust make the same mistake as Chris Draper?