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Pantglas Hall was
once one of the largest country estates in South Wales. The present
house was built in 1835, on or near the site of a much earlier
building which dated back to medieval times.
Pantglas Hall was
founded by the Jones family, who accrued their wealth through their
connections with the courts of the Marches which were set up by Henry
VII to control the lawlessness that existed in Wales at that time.
It was then sold
to another family of Jones's, who rebuilt the house in 1835. A family
of bankers, these Jones owned the famous Black Ox Bank in Llandovery
which was incorporated into Lloyds Bank in the late 18th century.
However, due to
changes in social and political life in Britain in the late 18th
century the great land owners began to lose the wealth and power that
they once possessed and the working classes could afford to buy their
own farms from their land owners.
Pantglas was
eventually sold out to private ownership and in the early part of the
1900s the local council bought the house to be used as an asylum.
In 1964 there was
a small fire in the basement and, although the damage was minimal,
the hall was sold once again to a private party. The new owner was a
property developer and removed much of the fabric of the building
including tiles and masonry for a hotel he was building in the south
of England. As a result the weather took it's toll on the once grand
house and caused extensive damage which is evident today. |
