Dating from the 19th-century in its current mock-Tudor incarnation, Gregynog Hall has been here in some form for 800 years. From 1924 it was the home of the Davies sisters, Gwendoline and Margaret, who are known for the extraordinary collection of paintings they bequeathed to the National Museum. Their grandfather was David Davies (a sawyer turned miner) who, when prevented by the Bute family from exporting his coal from Cardiff, built his own docks at Barry and made a fortune.
The sisters intended to make the house an arts centre, founding a fine-arts press in the stables and holding an annual Festival of Music and Poetry. In the 1960s the estate was given to the University of Wales, which uses it as a conference centre. Successor to the sisters' festival is the week-long Gwyl held annually in mid-June, with operatic, choral, orchestral and instrumental music performed in the grounds of the house. The house, its interior largely unchanged since Margaret's death in 1963, opens for group tours by appointment and you'll find a cafe and shop (open 11am to 4pm from March to December).
However, the main drawcard is the 300 hectares of Grade 1–listed garden, which are estimated to date from at least the 16th century. There are avenues of sculpted yews, impressive rhododendrons and azaleas, 300-year-old oaks and bird-filled beech woodlands, all accessible on a series of walking tracks. Admission to the grounds is unrestricted, although there is a small charge (£2.50) for parking.
Gregynog Hall is situated 5 miles north of Newtown, signposted from the B4389.
