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Graham Watkins
Oct 30, 20212 min read
The Smallest House
Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne when a rather unusual house was built in Conwy. To keep the cost down, the builder wanted a site...
290 views
Graham Watkins
Dec 2, 20204 min read
Gnoll Belvedere - A Story of Welsh Coal, Copper and Corruption.
Sir Humphrey Mackworth was an industrialist, lawyer and fraudster who studied the scriptures in his spare time. He was educated at...
969 views
Graham Watkins
Oct 23, 20203 min read
The Mad King's Monument.
King George III, the first Hanoverian king of Britain who spoke English as his main language, had been on the throne for nearly forty...
539 views
Graham Watkins
Oct 14, 20204 min read
Paxton's Tower, a nabob's revenge.
There is a strange looking gothic tower standing high above the Towy valley between Carmarthen and Llandeilo which was built by a...
225 views
Graham Watkins
Aug 18, 20202 min read
Tŷ Castell - Castle or Cow Shed.
The Elizabethan country house, Nercwys Hall, was built by John Wynn in the 1638. Wynn, a wealthy gentleman left the estate to his son...
351 views
Graham Watkins
Mar 17, 20206 min read
Why is a lighthouse or is it a clock tower in the middle of a Cardiff boating lake?
"I am just going outside and may be some time.” Captain Lawrence (Titus) Oates 17th March 1912 In 1909, a young naval lieutenant named...
393 views
Graham Watkins
Dec 15, 20193 min read
Cilwendeg Shell House - Built with profits from a shining light.
When William Trench visited a group of islands off the coast of Anglesey known as The Skerries he came up with a money making idea. The...
491 views
Graham Watkins
Nov 3, 20192 min read
Crow’s Nest Farm - Is Your Home Really Your Castle?
In 1760, the Prime Minister, William Pitt, stated. ‘The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the force of the Crown. It may...
208 views
Graham Watkins
Oct 6, 20193 min read
Orielton Banqueting Tower - Doesn't everyone need one?
Once a grand three storey building, Orielton Banqueting Tower, now stands alone and neglected in the south western corner of Wales. The...
210 views
Graham Watkins
Jul 28, 20194 min read
The Kymin - A folly of voluptuary and gluttony
A painting of Philip Meakins Hardwick, in Monmouthshire Museum, portrays him as a portly gentleman who clearly enjoyed his food. During...
187 views
Graham Watkins
Jun 18, 20196 min read
Thomas Picton - Welsh Hero or Monster
Thomas Picton - Welsh Hero or Monster; you decide.
1,115 views
Graham Watkins
Jun 2, 20194 min read
Nantyglo Roundhouses - Riots, masters and men.
In the 19th Century, the South Wales valleys underwent dramatic industrial change. People arrived in their thousands, looking for work...
288 views
Graham Watkins
May 5, 20193 min read
The Hallelujah Obelisk - 'Praise the Lord' but it also means, 'Fools.'
In 1736, landowner Nehemiah Griffiths, who lived near Mold built an obelisk in one of his fields. The stone monument he erected included...
435 views
Graham Watkins
Apr 21, 20193 min read
Prospect Tower - Bats and a copper bottomed story.
Robert Morris moved from Shropshire to Swansea, in 1724, to work as the manager of Llangyfelach Copper Works. When the proprietor of the...
233 views
Graham Watkins
Mar 24, 20193 min read
Jersey Marine Tower. Rocky Marciano's Wartime home?
In 1886, the brewer Captain Evan Evans was looking to diversify his business. Brewing beer was profitable but he wanted to expand and...
861 views
Graham Watkins
Dec 12, 20183 min read
Fort Williamsburg - A toy fort with real cannon.
When in 1549, John Wynn was King Edward VI’s standard bearer the king rewarded him with a gift of Bardsey Island. In the 17th Century,...
548 views
Graham Watkins
Nov 26, 20184 min read
Castell Gwrych - A monster folly.
In the 19th Century, gothic revival architecture was the height of fashion. The new Houses of Parliament were built in the gothic style...
323 views
Graham Watkins
Aug 26, 20183 min read
Dry Bridge Lodge
Strangers travelling along a minor road south west of Mostyn are surprised to find themselves driving under a house. The structure, known...
892 views
Graham Watkins
Aug 5, 20182 min read
Six foot three Mr. Jones slept with his feet sticking out of the window.
Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne when a rather unusual house was built in Conwy. To keep the cost down, the builder wanted a site...
285 views
Graham Watkins
May 31, 20183 min read
So why did Mr. Jones build a funny looking castle?
The practice of erecting a memorial to a loved one is common enough but when William Jones’ wife Elizabeth died in 1787 he felt that...
485 views
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