Anyone recognise this place?

[chinakay]

Good morning, Borre da (well, it's still morning here )

I have been playing with these maps for an hour! This is wonderful, I never would have found these places without your incredible help. I'm still reeling from having come across the photo of the ruin in the first place! There are many more boxes of slides to go through, and I may find more pictures of it.

I'm not 100% certain that this house was Beudy Bach, or even Penrhyn. My great-grandfather was actully living at Penrhyn at the time of his marriage. But, I do recall Auntie Catherine (actually my grandmother's cousin) saying this was the ruin of a house my great-grandfather had lived in. At the time, I was about 10 or 12 and much more interested in climbing on the rockpile.

So it seems to me you could get to this house from the main road, or by going up past the castle. I'm surprised it's so close to the village, and to Roman Bridge. I guess everything in my memory is stretched out. I do remember driving along a lot of Forestry roads.

I'd love to take another trip and find these places once again. It's true what they say about hiraeth...even if you've only been there once, you still want to go back.

Many, many thanks for all your help. And for brightening up my picture, WelshGen, it looks much better.

Cheers,
China
PS...Welsh phrase of the day:
Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn o lyswennod 

[Martin Briscoe]

Beudy Bach on the 1891 map does not look the same as the location of the photographs.

I think you can see the 1891 location on the modern 1:10000 map at COFLEIN and the OS 1:50000.  But it does not seem to be in a narrow tree lined valley.

Martin Briscoe

[chinakay]

That's a great map, Martin, thank you. I've been playing with is for quite some time...I think you're right about the location.

Would ruins show on the OS maps?

Cheers,
China

[Martin Briscoe]

That's a great map, Martin, thank you. I've been playing with is for quite some time...I think you're right about the location.

Would ruins show on the OS maps?

Cheers,
China

They might well show ruins but you can't guarantee it.

Just had a look on GOOGLE EARTH and GOOGLE MAPS, they have some reasonable coverage from a line running North - South just to the West of Bettws y Coed so they have Dolwyddelan.

Windows Live Local also has good aerial pictures of that area.

Another source of good aerial pictures is the 192.com site, it is not as easy to navigate but often they have aerial pictures of places not covered by the above.

You should be able to see ruins on aerials and get an idea of the surroundings though obvious forested areas could be obscured.


Martin Briscoe

[chinakay]

Well. Just in case anyone else is researching this...I've been informed these ruins are not Beudybach. Back to the drawing board. Again

Cheers,
China

[gwynd]

   Hi,     Only just seen this thread.   The building looks very much like Tai Penamnen, Dolwyddelan.  We used to go for walks many years ago  along this lane which  is a couple of miles up from Dolwyddelan Railway Station in a southerly direction.      They have been carrying out an archaeological dig on the site for the last few years and there are photos of the dig and of the old building on www.dolwyddelan.org under the Heritage section.     Have a look  and see what you think.    Best wishes,  Gwynd.

[chinakay]

Hi gwynd...I had actually been looking at the dig photos just before I posted, but didn't think they looked much like my photos. The website also says the ruins were demolished by the Forestry Commission in about 1960 (under the b&w photo).

But rethinking now...I went back to the censuses to list all the places my lot had been enumerated at. In 1871 they were at what looks like "Tai", nothing more, just Tai. And in 1881 they were at Penamnen.

I wish I had paid more attention to Aunty Catherine when she took us to this place! She died in 1968 so these ruins were obviously still there after 1960, although maybe not long after. But if they really are Tai Penamnen everything fits together very well indeed. Especially with ruins on both sides of the road.

I think you've solved it, gwyn....ta-daaaah We need a gold star smiley

Many thanks,
China

[gwynd]

    Hi China,    Glad to have been of assistance.     It certainly looks like the right place.  Have you thought about asking on the Dolwyddelan web site for help.  There's a telephone number and e-mail address of a Bill Jones for any enquiries regarding the archaeological dig at Pen Penamnen.   Good luck.   Gwynd

[chinakay]

Hadn't noticed that, I shall definitely get in touch with bill Jones. Many thanks!

Cheers,
China