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Pant-yr-Ochain is a historic
country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...
and
public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
, near
Gresford Gresford (; ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the community, which also includes the village of Marford, was 5,334, reducing to 5,010 at the 2011 census. The Grad ...
,
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
, in North Wales. The
Grade II 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 ...
listed building is located in hilly terrain north-east of
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
, next to a series of shallow lakes, which also takes its name. There is a locally run miniature railway next to the building. The current building is largely in the
neo-Jacobean The Jacobethan ( ) architectural style, also known as Jacobean Revival, is the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the Engli ...
style, with the building dating to a building on the site from the 1530s–1550s known as , around the time it was under the ownership of
Edward Almer Edward Almer or Aylmer (by 1516 – 1574 or later), of Denbigh and Gresford, Denbighshire, was a Welsh politician. He was a younger son of John Almer of Almer, Denbighshire, a sergeant-at-arms at the court of Henry VIII. He was a Justice of t ...
. It was largely modified in 1805 and 1835 under the Cunliffes ownership, until 1878 when it (again) became part of the Acton Hall estate. From the 1960s to the 1990s it became a
hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...
venue, becoming a restaurant, hotel and pub in stages, and a sports bar in the early 1990s. The building is largely now a pub, operated by Brunning & Price since 1994.


Description


Grounds

Pant-yr-Ochain is situated within its grounds, overlooking a small lake, while surrounded by "hills and hollows". The grounds also contain a lawn with picnic benches, parasoled terraces, and a garden. On a
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
1899 map, the garden contained a carriage drive, a walled garden, a kitchen garden, woodland, parkland, lakes, walkways, a lodge, a conservatory and possibly a formal garden.


Main building

The main current building largely dates from a 19th-century remodelling in 1835, which incorporated elements of the earlier structure. The house is described as "remarkable" due to its
neo-Jacobean The Jacobethan ( ) architectural style, also known as Jacobean Revival, is the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the Engli ...
shaped
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
s, perhaps partly from the original structure. The building is a
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
, or a
country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...
, with a drive, and now houses a
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
. The pub is largely situated in the 19th century part of the building.
Alfred Neobard Palmer Alfred Neobard Palmer (10 July 1847 – 7 March 1915) was a chemist and local historian. He published several books concerning the local history of Wrexham and north Wales. Biography Alfred Neobard Palmer was born in Thetford, Norfolk, England ...
, a local historian, described it as "the chief house in Gresford", and more important than Acton Hall. The existing building is in the
Jacobean style The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James VI and I, with whose reign (1603–1625 in England) it is associated. At the start of James's reign, the ...
of the
Regency era The Regency era of British history is commonly understood as the years between and 1837, although the official regency for which it is named only spanned the years 1811 to 1820. King George III first suffered debilitating illness in the lat ...
with a
slate roof Roofing slates are roofing tiles made out of slate. The rock is split into thin sheets which are cut to the requires size before shipment. This contrasts to slabs which are milled to produce larger structural components. They are the primary produ ...
and rendered chimneys. The building has timber framing, with some of the framing at the building's rear dating to the 17th century, while significant framing was applied in the 19th century. It is two storeys and situated in a L-shaped plan. A
Cunliffe Cunliffe as an English surname derives from a former place near Rishton, Lancashire. Notable people with the surname include: *Baron Cunliffe, of Headley in the County of Surrey *Barry Cunliffe (born 1939), Professor of European Archaeology at th ...
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
is present on the building with the year ''1835''. The interior was remodelled in the 20th century, but retains some 19th-century features such as panelled doors and shutters and a 16th-century
inglenook An inglenook or chimney corner is a recess that adjoins a fireplace. The word comes from "ingle", an old Scots word for a domestic fire (derived from the Gaelic ''aingeal''), and "nook". The inglenook originated as a partially enclosed hear ...
fireplace. Some of the 17th-century timber framing is visible on the ground floor walls, and on the rear from the lawn. The pub's central room is dominated by a large double-front bar. There is also a garden room and a small snug (den). Sketches of the house are held in Wrexham Museum.


Farmhouse

Behind the main building there is a farmhouse which pre-dates the 17th century. The farmhouse has separate access from Old Wrexham Road and is hidden from view from the hall by a long brick wall.


Etymology

means the "hollow of lamentation", with the possibly linked to a feudal lord of the same name who lived in the area, but with no surviving evidence. It originally was known as . , was a popular medieval Welsh Christian name, possibly derived from
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, meaning "happy". There is no information on the particular ''Iocyn'' the building is named after, but possibly they may have been an early Welsh settler who came to the area in the
early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...
. The name ''Pant-yr-ochain'' first appeared in the 1830s, later adopted by the
Ordnance Survey The Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see Artillery, ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of ...
, although various forms of the older name remained in use until recent times. In maps from 1577 and 1610, the form ''Pentiocken'' was used, while in 1587 ''Pantyokin'' was used once. It is sometimes nicknamed "the Pant", with being a Welsh name referring to the hollow it sits in.


History

The area was a Welsh settlement by the late 12th century, under
Owain Gwynedd Owain ap Gruffudd ( – 23 or 28 November 1170) was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great () and the first to be styled "Prince of Wales" and th ...
, and part of
Powys Fadog Powys Fadog (English: ''Lower Powys'' or literally ''Madog's Powys'') was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys. The princes of Powys Fadog would build their royal seat at Castell Dinas Brân, and their religious center at ...
. There has been a building present on the site since the 13th century, and during the medieval times, a feudal lord known as ''Ochain'' lived there, although no recognisable evidence survives. The building can trace its heritage to the 1530s; Tudor
wattle and daub Wattle and daub is a composite material, composite building method in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called "wattle (construction), wattle" is "daubed" with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, and ...
timber-framed walls of this era are visible from the modern-building's inglenook fireplace.


Edward Almer ownership (16th century)

By the 1550s, a house was built on the site known as . The site was under the ownership of
Edward Almer Edward Almer or Aylmer (by 1516 – 1574 or later), of Denbigh and Gresford, Denbighshire, was a Welsh politician. He was a younger son of John Almer of Almer, Denbighshire, a sergeant-at-arms at the court of Henry VIII. He was a Justice of t ...
, who served as the
High Sheriff of Denbighshire The first High Sheriff of Denbighshire was John Salusbury (died 1540s), John Salusbury, snr, appointed in 1540. The shrievalty of Denbighshire, together with that of Flintshire, continued until 1974 when it was abolished after the county and sh ...
in 1553 and Member of Parliament for
Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...
in 1555, with Almer possibly moving into the house on the site, following his election as an MP, in around 1555. Although the house was possibly owned previously by a family under the name ''Carrat''. Almer either significantly modified an existing house on the site which was owned by the ''Carrats'', or completely rebuilt the house. In the house's modification/rebuild Almer used materials belonging to his other house in ''Almere'' (then named ''Almer''), located next to the River Dee, downstream of Holt. The house at Almere was low-lying and at risk of flooding, leading to Almer deciding to set up his
gentry Gentry (from Old French , from ) are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. ''Gentry'', in its widest connotation, refers to people of good social position connected to Landed property, landed es ...
family at rather than at ''Almere'', which Almer later sold, with it eventually ending up with the ''Puleston'' family. Although when he served as High Sheriff in 1553, Almer still stayed at Almere. Upon the accession of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
in 1558, he had moved into . During Edward Almer's stay in the building, and that of his son
William Almer William Almer (fl. 1572) of Pant Iocyn, Denbighshire, was a Welsh politician. Almer was the eldest son of the MP, Edward Almer of Gresford, Denbighshire. He succeeded his father after 1574, inheriting Pant Iocyn (Pant-yr-Ochain) house at Alm ...
, who also became MP in 1572, , was said to have been one of the "chief gentry houses" in the eastern parts of
Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...
. Just before moving into the building, in the 1540s, Almer was accused of removing parts of
Holt Castle Holt Castle () was a medieval castle in the village of Holt, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. Work began on the castle, which is on the Welsh–English border by the banks of the River Dee, in the 13th century during the Welsh Wars. In the m ...
for building his home, as well as embezzling rents and other sources of income for it. Almer argued that the materials he took were not originally of Holt Castle itself, and instead came from the dissolved monasteries from Valle Crucis and Combermere. It is possible that some of the materials were at least taken to . In 1577, the house appeared on maps by
Christopher Saxton Christopher Saxton (c. 1540 – c. 1610) was an English cartographer who produced the first county maps of England and Wales. Life and family Saxton was probably born in Sowood, Ossett in the parish of Dewsbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
as ''Pentiocken'', which was also used on William Kip's 1610 map.


Intermediate ownership (17th century)

This house was also recorded as being present in 1592. This house was owned at the time by William Almer, the son of Edward Almer. It was then passed down to his daughter Jane, who married Gilbert Gerard, son of
William Gerard Sir William Gerard (1518–1581) was an Elizabethan statesman, who had a distinguished record of government service in England, Wales and most notably in Ireland. He sat in the House of Commons for Chester for many years, and was Vice-President ...
. Jane's and Gibert's son, also named William, was said to have been in financial difficulty and had mortgaged for £1,000, and later sold it for £1,200 in 1613 to Nathaniel Owens. In 1614, it was sold again for £1,300 to
John Panton John Panton, MBE (9 October 1916 – 24 July 2009) was a Scottish professional golfer, who represented Great Britain three times in the Ryder Cup. Panton was born in Pitlochry. He turned professional in 1935 and took up a job in the local go ...
. In 1615, it was purchased by
Bishop of Chester The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York. The diocese extends across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the ...
, George Lloyd for £1,400, who died the same year. Lloyd's family stayed in the building until 1630, with his son David living in the building in 1620. The Lloyd ownership lasted until it was sold by Lloyd's widow, Anne, in 1630 to Thomas Manley, due to financial problems. In the year before, the lands of the house were valued to be worth almost £50 annually. Manley later improved the house. In 1654, the house was sold to William Jones, who remained the owner by 1661, although the house was occupied by John Davies as its tenant by 1663. Upon Jones' death, it was sold to William Challoner, with Richard Challoner living in the house by 1668, the same year it was sold to Timothy Myddelton for £2,000. Myddelton's widow remarried Thomas Powell, and after her death, Powell remained living in the building until at least 1678. In 1670,
hearth tax A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area and is con ...
returns showed the house having fifteen
hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, partial ...
s compared to Acton Hall's eleven, giving a possible idea of size between the two. Myddelton's daughter, Anne, married William Robinson in 1682, passing the house into Robinson ownership. During his ownership the house was listed in
Edward Lhuyd Edward Lhuyd (1660– 30 June 1709), also known as Edward Lhwyd and by other spellings, was a Welsh scientist, geographer, historian and antiquary. He was the second Keeper of the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum, and published the firs ...
's "list of notable houses in the parish of Gresford". Originally in the 17th century, the building's grounds were surveyed to have contained a stable, brick
kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...
, three-bayed
malt house A malt house, malt barn, or maltings, is a building where cereal grain is converted into malt by soaking it in water, allowing it to sprout and then drying it to stop further growth. The malt is used in brewing beer, whisky and in certain foo ...
,
brewhouse A brewhouse is a building made for brewing beer and ale. This could be a part of a specialized brewery operation, but historically a brewhouse is a private building only meant for domestic production. Larger households, such as noble estates, o ...
, brick dove house, hop yard, a four-bay barn and a two-bay barn. While many of its fields had Welsh-language names, although the grounds in general were made of
bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main Wetland#Types, types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagm ...
and water-saturated. At the time it was surveyed the grounds contained two lakes, (now
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
) and , which is overlooked by the house. The grounds were also surveyed in 1620, to be around 96 customary/203 statute acres.


Jeffreys of Acton ownership (18th century)

From 1708 to 1921, the house and farm became part of the Acton Hall estate, following the marriage of John, son of William Robinson and Anne Myddelton, to Elizabeth, daughter of Griffith Jeffreys of Acton Hall, in 1708. At the time of the marriage, the house itself was occupied by someone named Solomon Russell. John and Elizabeth lived in until 1730, leaving for
Gwersyllt Gwersyllt () is an urban village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The densely populated village is one of Wrexham's largest and is situated in the north western suburbs of the city, bordering the nearby villages of Llay, Cefn-y ...
, and their departure marked the end of the building being used as a "gentleman's residence", instead becoming a mere, and increasingly unimproved, tenanted farmhouse on the Acton estate. Due to the Acton estate's inheritors being women, a 1745 private Act of Parliament, led to appointed commissioners, one of whom being Watkin Williams-Wynn, selling the families' estates, with sold in 1749 to Ellis Yonge for £1,395.


Cunliffe ownership (18th century–20th century)

Following Yonge's death, both estates, including the house, were bought by Foster Cunliffe in 1785, and the building remained under the ownership of the Cunliffes until at least 1903. Cunliffe referred to the property as ''Pant y Ochin'', and aimed to build a new house on the site as a home for his daughters who were yet to be married, which if remaining unmarried were expected to leave the family home at a certain age. Cunliffe hoped this new house would be the choice of residence for his daughters, and should they not choose to live there "the house may be pulled down". Under Cunliffe's ownership, the house was substantially added to, aiming to become a "commodious dwelling" that expanded into the land, and it became two properties, the main hall and a farmhouse. For most of the 18th century the farmhouse was home to the Thomas family of farmers.


1805 renovation by Foster Cunliffe

Cunliffe began renovating the building in 1805. One wing of the L-shaped farmhouse was enlarged with the addition of a Jacobean-style front, which now serves as the entrance to the pub, while the building's rear wing's roof was elevated to match the height of this next extension. A winding drive from Old Wrexham Road to the house was constructed. The style of the house may have been inspired by the "picturesque cottages" of the Trevalyn estate in
Marford Marford is a village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, near the Wales-England border. Marford covers some , where the hills of north-east Wales meet the Cheshire Plain. Distant landmarks that can be seen clearly from Marford include Eaton Hal ...
. During the renovation, coins were discovered in the house dating to
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
's reign, possibly relating to rumours that in 1651,
John Jones Maesygarnedd John Jones Maesygarnedd (c. 1597 – 17 October 1660) was a Welsh military leader and politician, known as one of the regicides of King Charles I following the English Civil War. A brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, Jones was a Parliamentar ...
, a regicide signee of Charles I's warrant, was to buy the house for £1,000. The architect for Cunliffe's construction of a new wing is unknown, although possibly a local man. Cunliffe died in June 1834, possibly around the same time, his two unmarried daughters, Emma and Charlotte, moved into the renovated house.


1835 renovation under the Cunliffe daughters

The house was remodelled substantially in 1835 by the two daughters, incorporating various elements of the earlier building. As part of their 1835 renovation, they extended the house by adding a large "pleasant room" (now ''the Library''), which overlooked the lake, with the new extended gable bearing their
arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...
with ''1835'' on it. The daughters also added the current porch and bay windows to the building's front which remain there today. At the same time, the daughters decided to name the building its current name ''Pant-yr-Ochain'', which appeared on Ordnance Survey maps from 1838 and after. Although the name change was not consistently applied until more recently, even by the sisters at the time, who may have still spelt and pronounced it the old way. The building also shortly appeared to be labelled as , on an 1844 tithe map, possibly to distinguish it from the farmhouse, which by 1844 was occupied by Francis Jones. Following Charlotte's death in 1875, and then Emma's in 1878, ownership of the main building moved back into the Acton estate. In 1885, a fire destroyed many of the farm outbuildings on the site. The main building, the hall, was also let to tenants during this period. First, it was to Florence Ford, then in 1891, its tenant was Anita Sophia Fletcher, followed by William Busfeild in 1901, and Thomas Richard Cholmondeley in 1909, with his widow Margaret Herbert continuing to live in the building a short time after his death. The earliest detailed illustration of the house by Philip Yorke of
Erddig Erddig () is a country house and estate in the Community (Wales), community of Marchwiel, approximately south of Wrexham, Wales. It is centred on a country house which dates principally from between 1684 and 1687, when the central block was bui ...
, is said to possibly date from the 1870s when it was included in
Alfred Neobard Palmer Alfred Neobard Palmer (10 July 1847 – 7 March 1915) was a chemist and local historian. He published several books concerning the local history of Wrexham and north Wales. Biography Alfred Neobard Palmer was born in Thetford, Norfolk, England ...
's ''Thirteen Country Townships''.


Post-gentry and modern history (20th century–present)

After
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, and the decrease in power of the gentry, the Acton Park estate was slowly sold off in the 1920s. John Edward Jones bought the hall in 1921 from the estate's trustees, with Jones letting the hall to Ernest Bateson, who lived in it for 30 years. For five years in the 1950s, Reginald Rider, a local dentist resided in the hall. From the 1960s, there were various tenants, some stated to be "less than satisfactory", and during this time the hall caught fire "mysterious y during nighttime, although it was promptly put out by the fire brigade before any serious damage. In 1963, the building became a restaurant, then a hotel, and then a pub, which changed ownership a few times. Between 1992 and 1993, it was owned by local nightclub owner Bob Scott, whose ownership led to the building being visited by many football players and supporters, as it possibly became mainly a
sports bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar *Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of ...
, based on its interior. In 1994, it was bought by ''Pubs Limited'', later known as ''Brunning & Price'', which performed a restoration of the building. The company claimed that when they bought the building it was "partially boarded up", with a leaking roof, and Sports Pub interior. Brunning & Price were sold to
The Restaurant Group The Restaurant Group plc is a British chain of restaurants and public houses. Their principal trading brands are Wagamama and Barburrito. The Group also operates Pub restaurants and a Concessions business which trades principally at UK airports ...
in 2007. The pub features in the 2018 edition of ''
The Good Pub Guide ''The Good Pub Guide'' is a long-running critical publication which lists and rates public houses (pubs) in the United Kingdom.AA. There are reported ghost stories associated with the building.


Lakes

The building's grounds are home to several shallow
lakes A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...
or pools, named collectively as the Pant-yr-Ochain Pools, of various sizes. Three of these pools were surveyed to be shallow, at a low altitude, with high alkalinity and moderate phosphorus levels. The pools are located far from the sea, and it has been theorised that the high alkalinity is due to saline levels in ground-water. All pools are situated in the north-east of Wrexham and have no conservation designation. Of the three surveyed at low water levels, the largest pool (unofficially termed "''pool 1''"), has two main basins. Its northern section is up to deep, while its southern basin is up to deep. "''Pool 1''" is situated at an altitude of , with a shoreline, and overall shallow depth.'''' The next largest pool (''"pool 2''") is situated west of the larger one, and has a flat bottomed basin. While the smallest of the three surveyed (''"pool 3''") is in the north-west section of the group of lakes and is deep on its eastern edge. Pools "''1''" and "''3''", are used for
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 ...
. In high water levels, all three of the pools become connected into one larger lake, sometimes named the Pant-yr-Ochain Lake. The pools' water levels are fed from ground-water systems, largely depending on the water table, and its levels fluctuate on a 15-year-long cycle. When the nearby Borras Quarry was in operation, the levels of all lakes in the area were slightly lower. Historically, the term ''Llyn Llongmere'', had been used to refer to the lake which is overlooked by the house. "''Pool 3''" is the closest to the house, although at higher water levels all lakes are interconnected into one. ''"Pool 1''", also known as the ''Pant-yr-Ochain Big Pool'', does not contain any submerged
aquatic plants Aquatic plants, also referred to as hydrophytes, are vascular plants and non-vascular plants that have adapted to live in aquatic environments ( saltwater or freshwater). In lakes, rivers and wetlands, aquatic vegetations provide cover for aquat ...
, but has plants floating on its surface such as ''
Nymphaea alba ''Nymphaea alba'', the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar , is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia (Jammu and Kashmir). Since '' ...
'', an undetermined ''
Nymphaea ''Nymphaea'' () is a genus of hardiness (plants), hardy and tender aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution. Many species are cultivated as ornamental plants, and many cultivars have been bred. Some ta ...
'' cultivar and '' Polygonum amphibium''. ''Nymphaea alba'' is the most abundant one of the three floating plants identified. The pool also has some emerging aquatic plants. "''Pool 2''" was surveyed to not have any aquatic plants, possibly made harder to survey due to overhanging ''
Alnus Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ext ...
''. "''Pool 3''", with the richest amount of aquatic plants of the three pools, had '' Callitriche stagnalis'' and ''
Myriophyllum spicatum ''Myriophyllum spicatum'' (Eurasian watermilfoil or spiked water-milfoil) is a submerged perennial aquatic plant which grows in still or slow-moving water. Eurasian watermilfoil is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but has a wide geograph ...
'' submerged, and ''Polygonum amphibium'' floating, with some emerging aquatic plants.


Miniature railway

There is a
miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by Diesel engine, ...
located next to the building. It is run by the Wrexham and District Model Engineering Society. The miniature railway provides miniature steam train rides, a full-size traction engine, as well as completed and partly-built model engineering projects.


See also

*
Erddig Erddig () is a country house and estate in the Community (Wales), community of Marchwiel, approximately south of Wrexham, Wales. It is centred on a country house which dates principally from between 1684 and 1687, when the central block was bui ...


References

{{Wrexham Grade II listed buildings in Wrexham County Borough Pubs in Wrexham County Borough Grade II listed pubs in Wales 16th-century establishments in Wales Country houses in Wales