Author Topic: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew  (Read 49539 times)

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Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #30 on: October 30, 2015, 09:46:48 am »
You are probably right about the shop aspect of the Swan and it may have just been a "picking up point" for small items like newspapers etc but it's the Post Office aspect that I've a very vague memory of.   I don't think that it was ever more than a sub Post Office but again I'll ask my friend and hope he can help.
In Mr Evans' day he ran a proper shop in the village and deliveries were made by his horse and cart.   I suppose that with people having cars and supermarkets opening,  a shop in the village became unsustainable and Glanwydden followed a similar fate as Pydew.
I would imagine that the Swan as a pub would have been in the 19th century rather than the 20th but again I don't know for certain.

That's pretty much the way I'm thinking.  What was the shop in Glanwydden?  I've some vague notion of a shop and bakery on the opposite side of the road and to the Queens Head and further up towards the windmill and seem to pulling a name Pickering but I'm not sure if I'm inventing this.

Supermarkets btw.  I think my mother used Maypole??? in Llandudno and later, Deganwy Kwick Save.

[/quote]Thanks again for posting those photos, the school and Chapel were demolished and new properties built in their place and one where the school was is up for sale and has been for a number of years now.
[/quote]

Looking back in terms of the 60s, it does seem a little odd the chapel going. When we went to church, it was the little C of E one near the village hall but as far as I remember, for want of a better term and I'm not sure how to put this as I don't mean it an any way that might upset anyone but the "old Welsh village" was quite strongly Welsh Chapel.

I don't know when the school closed but it was Glanwydden school and then John Bright for most of us.  I say most as there was some (I think council) division. I knew a couple of people who went some primary school in the Junction and then Aberconwy.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #31 on: October 30, 2015, 12:04:58 pm »
Hmm just been talking to family.

While I knew there was some contact with the village, I'd not realised one of my brothers does some gardening for Mrs Wilson, Old Swan!  I may be able to find out more that way.

My mother has managed to find. "Walks From Landudno, Christopher Draper, 1999.

This does mention Pickering in Glanwydden.

A question on a property name that you and the book mention.  Is it Glanfryn or Glanllyn.  Opposite Swan in front of Pydew House?


Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #32 on: October 30, 2015, 12:18:23 pm »
Granllyn  was the last thatched cottage on the Creuddyn according to Chris Draper but when we looked around the property I think it had a red corrugated tin roof probably covering what was left of the thatch.
The terrace of cottages opposite and next to the Swan all had septic tanks and they all ended up in the grounds of Granllyn and that's one of the reasons why we didn't go ahead and buy Granllyn
When I passed by on a walk this year the place had had a nice extension done but it was completely overlooked by a massive white houseand that would put me off too.
It would be interesting if you could find out more about those quarry tiles and if there was a bakery there or not.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #33 on: October 30, 2015, 12:49:27 pm »
Granllyn  was the last thatched cottage on the Creuddyn according to Chris Draper but when we looked around the property I think it had a red corrugated tin roof probably covering what was left of the thatch.
The terrace of cottages opposite and next to the Swan all had septic tanks and they all ended up in the grounds of Granllyn and that's one of the reasons why we didn't go ahead and buy Granllyn
When I passed by on a walk this year the place had had a nice extension done but it was completely overlooked by a massive white houseand that would put me off too.
It would be interesting if you could find out more about those quarry tiles and if there was a bakery there or not.

Yes that is the property I'm thinking of as Glanllyn.  Could be a miss hearing on my part but I'd need to check. In my memory, Glanllyn/fryn did have a red tin roof but was later done up.

I did not know the running of the septic tanks for Gwilfryn? to Pen Dre but can imagine that.  Swan had its own by the wall next to Field Croft - I'd guess close to where the new houses were built the other side of the wall.  My memory in that spot is smelly petunias!

I will try to find out more about the tiles.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #34 on: October 30, 2015, 02:10:59 pm »
Our pictures of Pydew are far fewer than I expected but I think this one is from inside the school, used for a birthday party probably late 60s

I couldn't identify the children from this except to say I've sticky out ears and am towards the back left.

The adults on the left though may be of interest to this thread as they have sort of been referred to.  The one in the foreground is Mrs Owen, John Owen's mother (and of his younger sister, Llinos, who's party I believe it was) and further back is Enid Powell.  Both "old Pydew" people.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #35 on: October 30, 2015, 02:13:17 pm »
opps:


Offline Cambrian

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #36 on: October 30, 2015, 02:20:34 pm »
The property is Glanllyn.

The Pydew Sub-Postmaster (and grocer) for many years was one Thomas Rhys Evans.  He was very prominent in local affairs, serving variously on Caernarvonshire County Council, the Conway and Colwyn Bay Joint Water Supply Board and, during the war, was co-opted to Llandudno Urban District Council.  There is a street named after him in Penrhyn Bay - Rhys Evans Close.

Incidentally, whilst most will be aware of a Llandudno - Pydew bus service which lasted until the 1970s, there was also a pre-war service from Colwyn Bay Station via Mochdre and Llangwstennin which terminated at the Post Office.  Only one journey ran through, the other 4 necessitated a change at Pen y Bont Quarry to the Llandudno service. The service was not reinstated after 1945.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #37 on: October 30, 2015, 02:33:41 pm »

Incidentally, whilst most will be aware of a Llandudno - Pydew bus service which lasted until the 1970s, there was also a pre-war service from Colwyn Bay Station via Mochdre and Llangwstennin which terminated at the Post Office.  Only one journey ran through, the other 4 necessitated a change at Pen y Bont Quarry to the Llandudno service. The service was not reinstated after 1945.

Yep M25 (as it was in my times there) I knew.  Had not heard of or imagined a service to Colwyn Bay.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2015, 07:17:08 pm »
I kept this cutting from the paper of the children from Bryn Pydew and Glanwydden.   I can recognise my distant relative in the photo  which was taken about 1960.





















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Offline Hugo

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #39 on: November 03, 2015, 06:11:06 pm »
I saw my friend from Bryn Pydew at the coffee morning today and he had this to say on the matter:-

The Swan he remembers in recent years was owned by a Mrs Wilson and was a sub Post Office that sold newspapers and delivered them but sold nothing else. He said that the business was usually conducted in the front porch of the house.   He is not old enough to remember anything about the time when it was run as a pub.

Karenza, formerly the village shop was owned by a Mr Evans who in turn sold it to Hugh and Hannah Hughes and he said that he remembered them very well.    The Hughes' sold it on to the Powells who then ran the shop until circumstances made them close the shop.
He said that the village bakery was actually in a big room at the back of the shop.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #40 on: November 06, 2015, 12:47:05 am »
Thanks for the info.  I've yet to get in touch with my brother.  In the meanwhile, this map I've just found may be of interest:

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=18&lat=53.2968&lon=-3.7891&layers=171&right=BingHyb

It should give a current "street view" type map and a map from the 1880-9-s side by side.  It should be easy enough to pick Swan out on the new map. If you move your mouse over the house. you should see a cursor over the property in the left hand (old map) pane. 

Notice there are 3 buildings in the area.  I think the one to the right is the building that I speculate was a bakery at some point. 

The one to the back seems to be what we used as a shed and a garage.  It was a funny building that always looked as if it had been cobbled into the shed from something else. 

---
Looking through online  maps, I think I've found the answer to something that used to puzzle me.  School Cottages are at the top of Gilfach, a fair way from the school.  I now  see maps prior to about 1900 place the school where School Cottages are.

Offline mull

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #41 on: November 06, 2015, 12:14:30 pm »
Notice the name Skerryvore Road.
I wonder what the connection is ?
 Skerryvore Lighthouse is on the reef south of Tiree,about 20miles west of my house on Mull.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #42 on: November 06, 2015, 12:47:03 pm »
Notice the name Skerryvore Road.
I wonder what the connection is ?
 Skerryvore Lighthouse is on the reef south of Tiree,about 20miles west of my house on Mull.

Skerryvore is the other property in Bryn Pydew I lived in. It doesn't exist on the old map in my link and I guess it was built sort of 1910-1920s.

I've no idea if this is true but the  tale we had was the house was built by a retired sea captain. Skerryvore Lighthouse was supposed to have been a landmark for him - sort of he knew he was nearly home when he saw it. 

I assume the road name came after the house name.

Offline mull

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #43 on: November 06, 2015, 05:28:36 pm »
Thanks for that info.
Sounds right.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Old Public Houses in Bryn Pydew
« Reply #44 on: November 06, 2015, 05:51:01 pm »
Oh, I forgot.  I do know one other suggestion for Skerryvore.  Although I do feel the reference is to the lighthouse in Scotland, some do suggest it stems from The Skerries, a group of islets  off Anglesey.