Lost or Stolen ~ Do you know the whereabout of this Llandudno home?

[Olden]

Hello Llandudno. 

I am hoping one of your residents can help a friend of mine who has lived in Australia for many years.

As a small child during WW2 (probably circa 1942) she lived in Llandudno with her father in the house which is shown in the attached photograph. They are portrayed at a garden gate through which she tells me they could walk down to the sea. Clearly the property is much more recent but it was always known to her as the "old manor" and was accessed up a steep track.

To quote her, "I've come to the conclusion the house must have been demolished for modern building, more's the pity.  It must have been situated on the steep bit, west of the town. It looked out directly onto the sea, from quite a height, not over the town and no place for a road below, just a narrow steep footpath from the garden down to the water."


I recently visited your lovely resort for a short break and took the opportunity to look up at the cliffs and we have both searched Google Earth without result.

If anyone can identify this building either then or today, the information would be greatly appreciated.

All good wishes,

Olden

[dwsi]

by your description the property sounds like it's on llys helyg drive

[Bri Roberts]

I agree and judging by the incline of the road behind the property I would think it is one of the first ones you pass from West Shore.

[dwsi]

i think the property is called Plas Craig http://stwnsh.com/2pi

[Hugo]

I could be wrong but I don't think it was on the Marine Drive but on Llys Helyg Drive past the Railway Convalescent Home.    The road above the property follows the contours of the hillside whereas the Marine Drive would be  on an incline right to left in the photo.

[Olden]

Thanks so much all of you for your interest and local knowledge.

I think dwsi's link is extremely helpful...........and the Llys Helig Drive (I've read the legend about Prince Helig) looks extremely likely. Ironically we passed by there on our coach tour recently and were told Cliff Richard was a former resident!!

Only one thing troubles me and that is whilst the extension on the left of the photo and the two large gables match, the two smaller dormers in the roof are missing. However, if the property subsequently has  been re-roofed, as would be reasonable in this exposed position and with the age of the structure, they might have been dispensed with. Sadly the definition on Google Earth is rather poor and Streetview makes me seasick!

My friend has read your comments and is very excited to track things down after all these years. She is hoping to register to comment further but I believe her computer is poorly and she likely has to wait for a repair.

But again, many thanks to you all.

Olden.

[Morkins]

Hello to you all.   I am the little girl (considerably older these days) in the photo Olden kindly posted here, pic taken around 1942.     Thankyou for the replies.    I don't think the property is Plas Craig, does not look high enough above the water.     There is a photo of a semi-derelict house, on this site re Great Orme, with a similar gateway down to the beach, now wondering if that could be the place.    Living the other side of the world now, I'm very grateful for any info or photos.     Also, anyone here old enough to remember my father filming a documentary with American Jeeps and Officers about the place, I've been told possibly something to do with practicing for Dunkirk, or similar.   Sorry to be so vague.    Again, thankyou you all for the replies.   

[Hugo]

Morkins, I don't think that it is the semi derelict house that you mentioned but  there may be a way of tracing the original house for you, but unfortunately I can't do anything about it next week. I'll check it out asap though.
I'm afraid that those garden gates may not be there any more as I walked along the beach a few weeks ago and there has been a lot of coastal erosion going on over the years

[Fester]

I received some information today...from a mysterious source.  (He who knows all things about Llandudno, but never posts on this Forum)

It says that the house in question is called Plas Bardd,  owned by Len Maddocks (or is it Madoc's) ..owner of the Empire Hotel.

It has an extension added since that photograph,

[dwsi]

Plas Bardd http://stwnsh.com/2q6
I think it's bingo, the middle part of the building does match the photo.

[Morkins]

My goodness, the information is flowing in now, thankyou.     Fester and dwsi, you seem convinced this place is Plas Bardd, I'll have to search, see if any photos are available.      Fester, do you think your 'mysterious source' has info about what exactly was being filmed at the time in approx 1942?    If it was for the AKC (Army Kinema Corp), the reason will be interesting, possibly no longer secret.   Does anyone recognise my (now dead) father in the above photo, who was directing?     Thankyou you all in Llandudno.   

[Fester]

Hi Olden,
I doubt if my 'mysterious fountain of knowledge' will have info about the 1940's ... he is a little too young for that!
I rather think that instead, he has probably done some work in Plas Bardd for the current owners.

But if any info comes forward from my mysterious source, I'm sure he will ask me to pop it on here....  he's good like that.  (A Good Plumber Too  L0L)

[Morkins]

Thankyou Fester 

[pkevin]

Hi all,

I'm going to throw a wide ball here, How about this house as a candidate, basesd in it has four gables, and the paths in the background sort of match as so does marine drive's evevated position.

any thoughts. 

 Llandudno, UK - Google Maps

[suepp]

If it's any help here are the listings for houses on Marine Drive in 1929 presuming the house was there before the forties!.Llys Helig Drive does not appear in the directory

West Lodge
Cleve Royd
Fron Gogarth
Fron Dawel
The Chalet
Old Abbey Private Hotel
Gogarth Lodge
The Mount
Hillside
Gogarth Farm
Pen-y-Fron
Plas Penmaen
Swn-y-Mor
The Outlook