Three Towns Forum
The Local => Genealogy & Research => Topic started by: Meleri on July 06, 2014, 02:56:13 pm
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I have recently received a birth certificate for a member of my family dated 1924, the address for the birth is The Lodge, Gogarth Abbey, Marine Drive, Llandudno. Has anyone any information or links to old photographs of this building. Thanks for any help, Meleri
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If my memory serves me right this was the Lodge belonging to the Old Railway Convalescent Home at the start of Llys Helig Drive. In later years it was called Abbey Lodge but in recent years has been demolished to make way for a £ 1 million plus house.
I believe that Dave the Administrator on this forum has taken a photo of the property before it was demolished and there have also been photos on here of the new build that has replaced it.
I think a photo of Abbey Lodge as it was called then was posted as a question on the quiz section but I can't find that either.
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Is this it?
http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,104.msg18185.html#msg18185 (http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,104.msg18185.html#msg18185)
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And here's the new house...
http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,104.msg17914.html#msg17914 (http://threetownsforum.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,104.msg17914.html#msg17914)
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Thanks very much for those two links of the new house, they were both taken after the old property was demolished. I think that Dave or someone else posted a photo of the old property of Abbey Lodge as a question on the Three Towns Quiz but I can't find that one.
I'm sure that we have a photo on the forum somewhere of the old house but I've tried to find it but can't.
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It might not be under that name, of course. I'll keep looking.
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Thanks Ian, $thanx$ here's a link I found which also shows the outside and inside of the old building.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDkQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.herwales.co.uk%2Fher%2Fgroups%2FGAT%2Fmedia%2FGAT_Reports%2FGATreport_883_compressed.pdf&ei=NI-5U6D1KKSY0QWTuIGQAw&usg=AFQjCNHGSKkCDl-EnM6LwXJ4yFxfSs3nAQ (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDkQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.herwales.co.uk%2Fher%2Fgroups%2FGAT%2Fmedia%2FGAT_Reports%2FGATreport_883_compressed.pdf&ei=NI-5U6D1KKSY0QWTuIGQAw&usg=AFQjCNHGSKkCDl-EnM6LwXJ4yFxfSs3nAQ)
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Meleri, a lot of that link relates to the Old Bishop's Palace that was built about 1300 but scroll down to Plate 14 ( I think) and you will see photos of the inside as well as the outside of Abbey Lodge ( previously called by other names )
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It was called Tudor Lodge in the 80's - used to pass it regularly as my family worked at the Old Abbey and we'd go and play in the grounds as kids.
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The image in question:
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Thanks again Ian for posting a photo of the old Abbey Lodge. $good$
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Wow!
I never expected such an excellent response. Thank you Hugo, Ian & Sam. It has been a puzzle as to why my Mum was born at the Lodge in the first place. Reading through the information on the links given I thought I had cracked it, as the grounds were owned by the Bishop's of Bangor and my Great Grandparents on the 1911 Census, worked for the then Bishop of Bangor as Housekeeper & Gardener in Bangor. Then I read on to discover the land was sold and The Lodge built in 1894 and rented to The Mostyn Estate, so bang goes that theory. As my Great Grandfather worked all his life as a Gardener in various large properties between Bangor & Llandudno, would I be right in assuming he could have been the gardener for The Abbey Railway Convalescent Home. If so my Grandmother could have gone to her parents for the birth ??
When I first saw the address I thought it would have been a lodge to the Gogarth Abbey/Penmorfa so I'm so pleased you have put me on the right track.
Special thanks to Hugo for the informative link to not only photographs of the outside, but the inside too.
Meleri $thanx$
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Thanks Meleri, you are very welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed the link. In fact that was the first time that I had seen any photos of the inside of Abbey Lodge.
Abbey Lodge was situated at the beginning of a private drive to the former Railway Convalescent home and that large building has had a variety of uses over the years. Your G Grandfather may well have been a gardener there because the garden is very large and was always well maintained.
If I come across anything else that may be of interest to you then I'll post it on here.
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Thank Hugo that's very kind of you,
Meleri $thanx$
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This is the Abbey Hotel in the 1920's and Abbey Lodge would have been to the right of the hotel and just out of sight. That is what the building looked like to your G Grandparents.
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What an impressive building, if my Great Grandfather William was the gardener at that time, he would certainly have his work cut out mowing all that grass.
Thank you yet again Hugo, your a star,
Meleri ;D
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Here's a view of the Abbey Hotel showing its location and surroundings, unfortunately undated
(http://)
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Here's a view of the Old Abbey Hotel and the new house that was built on the site of the Abbey Lodge. They were taken today when I walked around the Great Orme.
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Thanks for the old photograph Sue, I have a better idea of where the Old Abbey Hotel is now. $good$
Those two photographs have put me right on which side of the Old Abbey Hotel, the Lodge was. I misunderstood and thought it was to the left, looking from the road. You don't see many of those old charabancs around very often nowadays.
Thanks again Hugo,
Meleri
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This is a similar photo to Sue's, but is taken a little higher up on the Orme. The road nearest is the Marine Drive and below that is Llys Helig Drive. The old Abbey Hotel and the Abbey Lodge shared a private drive just below Llys Helig Drive,
The old Abbey Hotel is on the right and the new house, where the former Abbey Lodge was is the building nearest to it on the left. The grass in the garden between the two properties that appears to be scorched, is the site of the old Bishop's Palace built around 1300 and is protected from development.
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Is there anywhere in the area of your last photograph to park Hugo, or would we have to walk up from the boating lake?
Ellen
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There is Meleri but it's difficult to describe and is not an official parking area.. I go along the Marine Drive from the boating lake and turn left down Llys Helig Drive, Just before the main building of the former Abbey Hotel there is a grass verge that I've parked on before.
I took that photo from the Monk's Path that overlooks the two Drives
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I went to the Conwy Archives today and had a look at various Street Indexes for Llandudno. These Street Indexes list just one person living at an address and describe their occupation.
The 1925 Street Index list at Gogarth Lodge W Jones a gardener
The 1922 " " ditto
The 1911 " " list at Gogarth Lodge Charles Smith a journeyman gardener.
Is your relative W Jones? If so it would appear that the Hotel Gardeners would be living at the Lodge as part of their employment contract. W Jones was not listed in the 1929 Street Index at Gogarth Lodge so I pressume that he had moved on by then
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In 1929 the occupant was A.F. Turner Milk Dealer
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My Great Grandfather was William Jones, so that would fit nicely, Hugo.
I wasn't aware of the street indexes you mention, but it could be very helpful to me when searching for other members of the family. Have they an index that covers Conway?
Thanks for looking in the Archive, you are a true Gent. Talking about the Archive, rumour has it they are moving it, have you heard anything? They are closing Conwy, Llandudno Junction & Deganwy libraries, so I am wondering if they will put them together.
Thanks Sue, looks like they had moved on then. I know they were living in Cadnant Park, Conway in 1931 when their son died, as it's on the headstone in St Agnes Cemetery.
Will look for the parking area you mention Hugo, I haven't been up that way for years.
Meleri
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The Street Indexes do cover Conwy and are easy to look up. The Conwy Archives only has a few Indexes though such as 1911, 1914, 1922, 1925, 1929, 1939 and one in the 1960's (prior to 1964)
They are easy to trace as the person is listed alphabetically and their address given.
I've not heard that the Archives are moving but if there were then I'm sure that they would have told me.
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The old Abbey Hotel looked impressive yesterday when I was walking along the shoreline
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Hi everyone! I've come across this forum during the research of some old family photos. I'm led to believe this building was built by William Frederick Mason who is my great great great great grandfather (I think!) I've attached a photo taken at the house apparently in 1906- William Mason is the one on top row in the middle! Love hearing all about this history!
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This link may tell you a bit more about Abbey Lodge
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi_57Pn5ufTAhWJKcAKHYHQAXUQFghBMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walesher1974.org%2Fher%2Fgroups%2FGAT%2Fmedia%2FGAT_Reports%2FGATreport_883_compressed.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEUiT7UkfV6001YgzdMoCHh4hJR4w (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi_57Pn5ufTAhWJKcAKHYHQAXUQFghBMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walesher1974.org%2Fher%2Fgroups%2FGAT%2Fmedia%2FGAT_Reports%2FGATreport_883_compressed.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEUiT7UkfV6001YgzdMoCHh4hJR4w)
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Thanks for the photos of the Mason family. I have read about them and their occupancy of The Old Abbey, which I think is shown as Gogarth Abbey in the old census returns. I stayed at The Railway Convalescent home twice after having major surgery. They kept some old records of the Abbey, plus archeaological research papers on the ruins of Gogarth Abbey. I read through these and think the house was built for the Mason family c1896. They had the sale documents when it went up for sale for the first time. There was a folder of all sorts of items and I wonder what happened to this after The Railway Convalescent Home sold it.
When I was there, The Lodge was occupied by a very elderly couple and it was put up for sale after they ceased to live there.
Helig.