Author Topic: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew  (Read 49525 times)

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Offline Cambrian

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #105 on: February 11, 2018, 02:42:31 pm »
Interesting contribution olseadog.  Peter Thomas and his family did live at the Old Swan in the 1950s and I think they then went to live in Llanbedr y Cennin in the Conwy Valley. He lost the Conway seat in 1966 to Ednyfed Hudson Davies who himself died a few of weeks ago.

Offline squigglev2

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #106 on: February 12, 2018, 12:47:59 pm »
Thanks  oldseadog .  Yes,. I think we must have got Swan from your family.

Yes. The garden and up to the “mountain” was enjoyed. I’m not sure it was our most common play area for most of my time there though – perhaps growing less so as we got a little bit older. Amongst other things, we would spend a lot of time in the playing fields, often playing an attack and defence type football. One sort of routine I seem to remember for a couple of summer holidays was that the small group (usually 5 of us) would gather at Swan in the morning, then watch a little bit of kids TV before going on to do something else.


Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #107 on: February 12, 2018, 02:01:54 pm »
A few months ago I had a very nice chat with a local Pydew resident and you may have had the Swan from him.      I was hoping that he would be posting something on here as he knew all about the Swan and the pub as well as a bakery.   It was fascinating to talk to him and he even gave me info about my relatives in the area.

It would be nice if he posts on here as he knows your family squigglev 2   

Offline squigglev2

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #108 on: February 12, 2018, 02:27:35 pm »
Certainly an interesting thread, Hugo. I could never have imagined that when I first stumbled on the thread and questioned the info in a guide book, that we would so far end up with I think 3 people posting. who have lived in the property and even with similar type thoughts about the garden, etc! 

I think the thread must be quite high on search results as I know that even a brother now in QLD, Australia stumbled on it on a search and, recognising my contribution, emailed me to tell me about it. But it still seems strange that even one other may be googling "Old Swan/ White Orchard, Bryn Pydew".

It would certainly be nice to hear from the person you know although my feeling is that we would not have had Swan from him. It is no more than a feeling but as well as oldseadog's dates making sense and a family moving out of the area seems to make better sense.

Of course my parent's second property (Skerryvore) in the village after a spell in Kent was bought from someone still living it the village, so maybe there is a bit of confusion there???  He btw is actually TIJ but is better known by his middle name.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #109 on: February 12, 2018, 02:58:59 pm »
.

Of course my parent's second property (Skerryvore) in the village after a spell in Kent was bought from someone still living it the village, so maybe there is a bit of confusion there???  He btw is actually TIJ but is better known by his middle name.

It's the same person squigglev 2  and it's strange you mentioning "White Orchard" as he also told me the story about the name.   I'll try and make contact with him as he would be able to make a valuable contribution to this thread

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #110 on: March 20, 2018, 03:47:05 pm »
With some improvement in the weather I went up to Pydew this morning and as prearranged I called at Tom's house,( or the Mayor of Pydew as someone affectionately called him on here.)
Anyway Tom had meticulously  been gathering all the information he could and we had a very interesting and to me personally, a fascinating insight into Pydew and its village life.    I could mention things we discussed but I would prefer that it came from Tom as he could explain things clearer and more accurately than I could hope to do so.
One thing I found very interesting was Cil Giat which could be seen in Squiggle's photo of 13th December 2015,    The building is the one on the right of the photo and you can just see part of it.     Across the road leading up in the direction of Skerryvore was a gate across the road and that may be the reason for the buildings name.  Now both the house and gate are no longer there,
Incidentally one of the two children featured in the photo is a brother of Tom
Sqiggle you are correct in saying that the pub was where the garage is now and by all accounts it had a thatched roof.   I think that Tom said that Cil Giat was a bakery and you can see a brick from it incorporated into the garden wall of the Swan.

PS    Bebull,  Tom is in one of the photos you have posted on here.
After that we had a walk to the centre of the village where I took some photos of the property there.   At one time there would have been a shop, Post Office, bakery , public house, Chapel and a school  all within 50 yards of each other bud sadly they have all gone but it's still a beautiful and unspoilt village

Offline DaveR

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #111 on: March 21, 2018, 08:21:00 am »
Great work, Hugo.  $good$

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #112 on: March 21, 2018, 12:49:51 pm »
Thanks Dave,  I thought that Tom would be the ideal person to help all those people who are interested in Bryn Pydew.    I've been through the village many times but knew little about the people and buildings until I spoke to Tom.
He hasn't posted on here before but would gladly take part in any discussion on the forum about the place

He has information on the Swan going back to the late 1700's so there is a lot that we can learn from him.     We talked a lot about various things in the village and he mentioned Ty Ganol where I believe one his ancestors once  lived.    Now by coincidence another forum member Jane B, was researching in Glanwydden about the Roberts family but she did say at the time that she had an ancestor called Jones who lived at Ty Ganol.
Who knows they may even be distantly related!       

Offline Robbie G

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #113 on: March 21, 2018, 02:29:25 pm »
Good article Hugo ,you should try to get Tom to record all his knowledge on Bryn Pydew ,I am sure someone from Conwy Archives would be happy to record  the  history of the area , it will be a valuable item for future historians ,as an example I remember being told of the National Museum Of Wales sending a member of its staff to record the life of a lady who was born and bred in Cwm Eigiau , its available for all to see on their web site ,Bryun Pydew is no less important . 

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #114 on: March 21, 2018, 05:02:01 pm »
Thanks Robbie, that was interesting what you had to say about recording the history of Bryn Pydew, let's hope that it does happen sometime.       I bet the article on the lady who lived in Cwm Eigiau is a fascinating read.
Cwm Eigiau is a wild and remote place to live and I wouldn't have wanted to swap places with her but it's a coincidence that you mentioned it because a forum member called Hiraeth who lived at the Swan and Skerryvore in Pydew said that she would like to have lived at Cedryn in Cwm Eigiau.
I bet it was very bleak there this Winter.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #115 on: April 02, 2018, 04:41:15 pm »
I was reading Chris Draper's book again last night, it's called "Walks from Llandudno" and is about walks with History and even if you don't do the walks it is still a fascinating read.
In the book Chris mentions the old Swan and said that it also served as a public house before becoming a shop and that it provides a basic Post Office service for the village
Bits of this statement were disputed by our forum members but after speaking to Tom, I wonder if there is a bit of truth in everything he has said.
I know that there was a Post Office there because I've seen it myself and there has been a pub there and by all accounts it was thatched and where the present garage is now in the grounds of the Swan.
That just leaves the question of the shop.   Tom told me about Cil Giat which is pictured earlier on here and this was a bakery and shop. It was positioned somewhere near the entrance to the drive of the Swan and has since been demolished.     As the book was published in 1999 I wonder if this is where the doubts of the shop come in?
The Swan is in the old Parish of Llangystennin and part of the walk visits the Parish Church in Llangystennin and Chris has mentioned some facts about the Parish that are interesting:-
"The gravestones in the Churchyard record something of the sad decline of local villages. All near the Church are the graves of Margaret Davies, The Shop,  Glanwydden (d 1886),  James Williams of the Shop Pydew,  Jesse Roberts of the New Shop Bryn Pydew ( d1881)  four memorials commemorating the Roberts family of the Red Lion Pydew and two dedicated to Elizabeth Jones and William Thomas both of the Swan Inn Pydew.  All the shops and inns that no longer trade"
I don't know when the building called Cil Giat was demolished or if it was ever part of the grounds of the Swan but perhaps Tom or Squiggle may know a bit more?

Offline squigglev2

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #116 on: April 02, 2018, 05:22:53 pm »
The presence of a post office is not disputed.  Mr and Mrs Wilson opened up after the Powells closed what had been the village shop. I've used that post office myself.

I think we can agree that indicating the house we face from the road (ie. Old Swan/White Orchard) is an inaccuracy although, yes, there was a pub in the grounds.

The shop is one I can't answer although we have 3 sets of people who lived there who have no knowledge of this.

Now I know who he is, I can clarify it was Tom who showed us where to look for the tiles for Cil Gait.  I can also happily state his memory and knowledge of the village will be far better than mine.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #117 on: April 02, 2018, 06:33:01 pm »
I think that Mr F bought the Skerryvore from him so you will know him well.     Tom believes that the change of name to White Orchard was because the fruit trees in the garden were painted in a white substance but now it's back to it's original name although from my recent visit there I think the name has been changed to " Old Swan"  whereas it was previously just called the Swan.
After posting my last post I remembered that Tom has Burial Indexes for Churches in the local area and it would be interesting to know the dates and the inscription on the headstones for Elizabeth Jones and William Thomas that may throw some more light on the Swan
By the way Squiggle  was the building and the gate across the road at Cil Giat there when you lived in Pydew?

Offline squigglev2

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #118 on: April 02, 2018, 06:41:52 pm »
He (Mr F) did indeed, Hugo.

I'd not have known of the existence of Cil Giat except for Tom.  There was nothing visible and the road then was as you know it now.

Offline Tom Jones

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #119 on: April 02, 2018, 06:46:33 pm »
Just a bit of info from Jones family in  1950 to present time about Swan In the 1950s it’s name was changed to White Orchard and then back but to OLD Swan owners as follows
Jones1950  to Brace
Brace1951 to Bull
Bull1954 to Thomas
Thomas 1959 to Thorburn
Thorburn 1962 to Arther
 Arther 1965 to Morrice
Morrice 1967 to Freeman
Freeman1974  to Wilson
Pre 1950 more info to follow at a later date