Brynkinalt Hall (; or simply Brynkinalt ()) is a Grade-II* listed private property, built in 1612, near

Chirk Chirk () is a town and Community (Wales), community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, south of Wrexham, between it and Oswestry. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 4,468. Historically in the historic counties of Wales, traditional coun ...

Wrexham County Borough Wrexham County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough, with city status in the United Kingdom, city status, in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The hall is surrounded by an

estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representativ ...

including of

agricultural land Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other organism, forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous ...

and of

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

. Part of the estate extends into

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Brynkinalt Park is a

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

located to the hall's north-west.

History

The hall has been the home for the Trevor family, a major family of the

County of Denbigh Denbighshire (), or the County of Denbigh, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. Located in the north of Wales, it was created by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535, enacted in 1536, by com ...

, with the area being their ancestral home since 942. The family are direct descendants of Tudur Trevor, King of Gloucester, and Angharad, daughter of

Hywel Dda Hywel ap Cadell, commonly known as Hywel Dda, which translates to Howel the Good in English, was a Welsh king who ruled the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllw ...

King of Wales Latin versions of "King of Wales" () were titles used on a handful of occasions in the Middle Ages. They were very rarely claimed or applied by contemporaries, because Wales in the Middle Ages, Wales, much like Gaelic Ireland, Ireland, usually h ...

, but their roots claim to be traced further, to a marriage between Severa, daughter of Roman emperor,

Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...

, and Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu, 82nd

King of Britain There have been 13 British monarchs since the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland on 1 May 1707. England and Scotland had been in personal union since 24 March 1603; while the style, "King of Great Britain" fi ...

, as well as a claimed link to

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (, – 11 April 1240), also known as Llywelyn the Great (, ; ), was a medieval Welsh ruler. He succeeded his uncle, Dafydd ab Owain Gwynedd, as King of Gwynedd in 1195. By a combination of war and diplomacy, he dominate ...

(

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

) and also the Kings of Ireland. The three-storey Brynkinalt Great Hall, now forming the central section of the present-day hall, was completed in 1612, by

Edward Trevor Sir Edward Trevor (c. 1580–1642) was the founder of the fortunes of the Trevor dynasty, a major family of Denbighshire. He was the son of Robert Trevor and Katherine ap Llewellyn. His first wife was Anne Balle, daughter of Nicholas Balle. Wh ...

, the son of Robert Trevor and Katherine ap Llewellyn. The hall is said to be designed by

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was an English architect who was the first significant Architecture of England, architect in England in the early modern era and the first to employ Vitruvius, Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmet ...

and was constructed using brick cut on site. The hall was part of an open courtyard, with

coaches Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

entering the site through the archway where the stairs now stand. The Jacobean Oak panelled Hall still remains, providing a look at what the original hall would have looked like. In 1808, extensive remodelling was carried out on the hall, designed by Charlotte, Viscountess Dungannon. Two new extensive wings were added to the house, containing a large dining and drawing room, with their own antechamber, a small waiting room. Two small morning rooms ("

boudoir A (; ) is a woman's private sitting room or salon in a furnished residence, usually between the dining room and the bedroom, but can also refer to a woman's private bedroom. The term derives from the French verb ''bouder'' (to sulk or pout ...

s") and a conservatory (since removed) overlooking the

Ceiriog Valley The Ceiriog Valley () is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. Its Welsh name, "Dyffryn Ceiriog", is the name of an electoral ward of Wrexham County Borough. The ward is the largest ward of the county borough by area and forms a s ...

were also constructed. The hall was also modified with

gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

, with

castellation A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

s and

turrets Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * ...

added. Around the estate, numerous

gate lodge Gate Lodge is a small house located at Mount Austin Road on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Gate Lodge was built between 1900 and 1902. It is in Renaissance style. It was a part of the former complex known as Mountain Lodg ...

follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...

and a double-walled garden were also built. From 1928, and delayed till the 1950s due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, various additions added by Viscountess Dungannon in 1808 were reduced or removed, this includes the

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

(except in the east wing's end), and the larger service wing housing a kitchen at the rear were also removed. The hall is linked to the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, whose grandmother stayed in the hall. There are a pair of

Musket ball A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

s, one British, one French, in the hall's dining room, brought in from the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

. The hall offers as a venue for weddings and other events. Brynkinalt is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. The estate is, , managed by Iain and Kate Hill-Trevor.

Estate

The Brynkinalt Estate, first landscaped in the 17th century and extensively remodelled in 1808, spans of agricultural land, used mostly for rearing cattle, of forest, of hedgerows, and of public footpaths, as well as gardens. The estate is situated near the former Brynkinalt Colliery and the town of Chirk, on the other side of the A5. The Brynkinalt Business Centre provides office space on the estate. There are also some residences on the estate. There is a historic church, Chirk's St Mary's parish church, present behind the hall. A small commercial

pheasant shooting Pheasant shooting is the activity of shooting the common pheasant. It takes place primarily in the United Kingdom, but is also practised in other parts of the world. The shooting of game birds is carried out using a shotgun, often 12 and 20 bore o ...

club operates on the estate, with parties held in the hall. The estate describes the club to be operating based on "traditional values with countryside conservation at its core". The estate also partners with the Corwen and District

Angling Angling (from Old English ''angol'', meaning "hook") is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated with a fishing rod, although rodless te ...

Club in management and conservation projects on the

River Ceiriog The River Ceiriog () is an long river in north east Wales, whose name may derive from a term meaning "favoured one". It is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises at an altitude of around on the south east slopes of Moel Fferna in the Berwyn ...

. The estate also has a

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

and carriage club. Accommodation on site is currently composed of seven en-suite bedrooms and one bedroom containing a private bathroom. The hall can accommodate sixteen guests for an overnight hall event. In June 2021, the Hill-Trevors, donated of land to St Martin's Parish Council in Shropshire. The land, adjacent to St Martins School would be leased to the parish council on a 999-year lease with zero rent. The land would be used for education and community recreation, with plans including a multi-use sports pitch. The donation is part of a scheme involving the Morlas Meadows development of 80 homes of distinction on the estate. The parks and gardens are listed as Grade II* in the

Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales is a heritage register of significant historic parks and gardens in Wales. It is maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and ...

Farmland

The estate operates nearly of farmland, straddling the Wales-England border. This farmland is operated under an

organic farming Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...

system under both

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( ) is the Executive (government), executive arm of the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of Cabinet secretary, cabinet secretaries and Minister of State, ministers. It is led by the F ...

rules, mainly for

organic beef Organic beef is beef grown according to organic food principles scientifically. Organic beef According to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Standards rules passed on October 22, 2002, certified organic livestock, including beef, must come f ...

and

dairy milk Cadbury Dairy Milk is a British brand of milk chocolate manufactured by Cadbury. First introduced in the United Kingdom in June 1905 and now consists of a number of products. Every product in the Dairy Milk line is made exclusively with milk choc ...

production. Cows on the estate are reared, cross bred, and milked. Cows graze throughout most of the year as possible, being fed on organic silage made on the estate during the winter months.

Woodlands

There are of woodlands on the estate, situated along the rivers Ceiriog and

Dee Dee or DEE may refer to: People Surname * Dee, an alternate spelling of the Welsh surname Day * Dee, a romanization of several Chinese surnames, including: ** Those listed at Di (surname) ** Some Hokkien pronunciations of the surname Li () ...

, and within a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

. The majority of the woodland are a mixed

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

forest, including trees such as

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...

, which are harvested for

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

to be used primarily as

firewood Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not heavily processed, and is in some sort of firelog, recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellet fuel, pellets. ...

biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

. As of 2022, the estate processes and sells 500 bags of logs annually. In the last five years, the estate has planted more than 10,000 trees.

Biomass

Brynkinalt Hall and the Brynkinalt Business Centre have been heated using biomass since 2008. Woodchips from the woodlands on the estate have been used as biomass. Therefore, the hall and centre have since been sustainably heated, with any trees felled replanted.

Gardens

The gardens on the estate consist of a formal west garden with formal beds and herbaceous borders, ornamental shrubbery (since 1905), and a walled garden. The small formal west garden contains fountains, statues, and sundials. These gardens fell into decline after

but have since been restored. The gardens are part of the

National Garden Scheme The National Garden Scheme opens privately owned gardens in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Channel Islands on selected dates for charity. It was founded in 1927 with the aim of "opening gardens of quality, character and interest to th ...

Parkland

To the west of the estate is parkland, styled as "Brynkinalt Park" and operated by Wrexham council. It contains a large area of community woodland and informal open space. The woodlands contain wooded slopes, with planted native woodland and

wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

s. Situated on and around the former Brynkinalt

Colliery Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extra ...

, it is to the north-west of the hall on the other side of the A5 road. The area has some mining artefacts, such as a coal wagon and cutting disc. Prior to mining, the area was the Brynkinalt Home Farm. The park is not associated with the private estate.

Events

The estate hosts the Brynkinalt Running Festival, which is organised into a , , and route around the estate. Early in 2022 the mansion, outbuildings and grounds provided location for most of the scenes in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

film, '' ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'', released in November 2022.

Notes

References

{{Wrexham Houses in Wrexham County Borough Brynkinalt Hall Brynkinalt Hall Garden Grade II* listed buildings in Wrexham County Borough Registered historic parks and gardens in Wrexham County Borough