There has been a hall on this site since the 12th century when it was connected to the Princes of Powys.

From the 15th century, Gregynog was the seat of the Blayney family. It appears that a new house was built in the late 16th century. The Blayneys were Royalists and during the Civil War, Charles I visited in September 1645, three days before his defeat at the battle of Rowton Moor. Arthur Blayney had no children and on his death in 1795, the estate passed to his cousins, the Hanbury Tracy family.

In 1838, they became the barons Sudeley. Henry Hanbury-Tracy rebuilt the house in its present form in 1840s. The fake concrete ‘half-timbering’ was probably added by Charles Hanbury-Tracey, son and heir and an enthusiastic amateur architect. He was a pioneer in the use of concrete as a building material.

The Sudeleys lost their money in the Newton flannel industry and in 1894, they sold the estate to Lord Joicey. In 1914, the estate (18,000 acres) was broken up and sold, mainly to tenants of the farms and cottages.

The Hall was bought in 1919 by Gwendoline and Margaret (always known as Daisy) Davies, the granddaughters of David Davies of Llandinam, one of Wales’s richest self-made men. Davies served as MP for Ceredigion for many years and made his money from building railways and running coal mines. He was also a philanthropist, giving money to help establish the University of Wales in the 1870s. He died in 1890, leaving his money to his three grandchildren, Gwendoline, Margaret and David. David Davies became Liberal MP for Montgomeryshire, served under Lloyd George during the war and later became involved with the creation of the League of Nations [Editor’s Note: He would have known my grandfather who was also involved with the League]

During the War, the sisters had visited the Front, running a canteen for French troops. Gwen and Daisy were determined to do something for the Welsh soldiers returning from the War – not just work but also enrich their lives through art and music.

The sisters lived at Gregynog from 1924, and it became an important centre for the arts. They decorated it with their priceless collection of paintings including works by Renoir, Monet and Cezanne. These works are now in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff although some prints and sculpture remain at Gregynog.

Music festivals were held with musicians such as Sir Adrian Boult, Walford Davies and Gustav Holst. George Bernard Shaw and Joyce Grenfell also visited.

The Gregynog Press began in 1920s and became one of the leading printers and publishers of fine books in Britain. It closed in 1940.

Gwen Davies died in 1951 and her sister, Margaret in 1963. They left Gregynog to the University of Wales. Courses, conferences and concerts have been held here since 1964.

In the house, a portion of the 17th century house survives. Lined with deep carved oak panelling, it is dated 22 June 1636 and is thought to have been executed by Dutch craftsmen.

THE GARDENS

In 1774, Blayney commissioned the landscape designer William Emes to suggest alterations to the park and garden. Blayney may have seen the work that Emes carried out at Chirk and Powis Castle.

The triangular Kitchen Garden was built by 1842 and included extensive greenhouses including a heated vinery and a peach  house. Please note, this area of the garden is closed to the public.

Lord Joicey planted many of the ornamental trees and rhododendrons. The valley, now known as ‘the Glen’ was planted with the golden yew hedge with hybrid-tea roses between and tea-roses in a long border above. The fountains were also added by Joicey.

With advice from Henry Avray Tipping, architectural editor of Country Life, Gwen and Daisy Davies created the Dingle and the Dell and planted herbaceous borders and rose beds around the Hall. They also added a lake with specimen lilies, an island and boathouse. Unusually for the time, the head gardener was a woman, Miss Gwen Clark. With her assistant, Miss Daisy Durrant, they replaced the rose border above the yew hedge with a rock garden and introduced many Asian species. In 1930, Miss Clark retired and was succeeded by George C. Austin, who remained head gardener until 1969.