Plas Newydd, Llangollen

Description

Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby moved into the small stone cottage of Pen y Maes in 1780, having run away from their families in Ireland two years previously. Re-naming it Plas Newydd (New Hall) they made extensive improvements to the house and created new gardens. The 'Ladies of Llangollen' finally purchased the house in 1819 and went on to live there until their deaths in 1829 and 1831. Over the years they became known for their eccentricity, preferring always to dress in dark riding habits, and played host to many famous people, including the Duke of Wellington, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth. After the death of the Ladies Plas Newydd was purchased by another two spinsters, Amelia Lolley and Charlotte Andrew, who attempted to emulate the Ladies' lifestyle. In 1861 Plas Newydd was bought by Mrs Robina Couran who owned it for 15 years before selling it to Richard Lloyd Williams of Denbigh, who in turn sold it a few months later to General John Yorke. General Yorke added the black and white timbering, built a new west wing and opened the older rooms to the public. On his death in 1890 Plas Newydd was sold by auction and passed through a number of owners until it was bought by Llangollen Urban District Council in 1933 who opened it to the public. In 1963 The Council demolished the east and west wings, leaving Plas Newydd the same size as when occupied by the Ladies. Today it is owned by Denbighshire County Council and continues to be open to the public.