Penrhyn Castle

We switched gears slightly and abandoned medieval castles for a more modern 19th-century neo-Norman castle. Penrhyn was built for the wealthy Pennant family on the profits of Welsh slate and Jamaican sugar. The National Trust took over the castle in 1951.

We toured the extensive grounds and Victorian walled garden before entering the house, pausing to take in the sight of high school students carefully scaling the highest tower. Inside the castle we found intricate carvings, stained glass, Chinese hand-painted wallpaper, and apparently one of the best art collections in Wales (with works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Canaletto). Particularly interesting are the Grand Staircase which took ten years to build and the Slate Bedroom which contains the one-ton slate bed built for Queen Victoria which she refused to sleep in, remarking that it reminded her of a tomb. Kassie found the servants' area interesting - the bell-pulls, each carefully labelled, are always a source of amusement - as well as the doll museum in the stable stock. Across the hall John briefly toured the railway museum.

Date of Our Last Visit: June 2004