The first thing I said on approaching Penrhyn Castle was ‘It looks like something from Game of Thrones.’ It hasn’t actually been used in any filming, but walking through it makes you feel a bit like you’re in a movie.
It’s also not actually a medieval castle. In fact, Penrhyn Castle was built between 1820 and 1837 and includes a Victorian kitchen, walled gardens, and a railway museum.
It’s a huge opulent building, funded by wealth from enslaved people, sugar and slate. And despite its size, it wasn’t even the main residence of the owners, the Pennant family. Rather, it served more as a holiday home, where they entertained guests such as Queen Victoria and William Gladstone.
Inside is rich, dark, and full of fantastical carvings, the kind of place that 14-year-old me would have had an absolute ball creating a ghost story. Current-aged me also found some inspiration around story ideas in the warren of rooms and corridors.
The ugly side of Penrhyn Castle
Penrhyn Castle was built off the backs of enslaved people.The Pennant family owned sugar plantations in Jamaica. They used countless enslaved people from the 17th century onward as free labour. Pennant family members actively campaigning against the abolition of slavery.
Back in Wales, they made more money from slate mines and transportation. The miners were paid, however they had to work in terrible conditions and were badly treated. This disregard for the workers, lead to the longest labour dispute in British history from 1900–1903. Penrhyn Castle was passed to the National Trust in 1951.
Most grand buildings like this were built off some level of exploitation. This fact becomes more evident when viewed from a modern angle, but that shouldn’t suggest people weren’t aware of it back then. The sheer size of Penrhyn Castle hammers home how vastly wealthy its owners were. It’s estimated to have cost around £50 million in today’s money to build. That kind of money is only possible if others lose out.
That doesn’t mean Penrhyn Castle can’t be a good setting for a story. In fact, a tale showing all sides of those who “built” the place would be a very interesting read. And as a setting for a ghost story, gothic romance, or murder mystery, Penrhyn would take some beating.
What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Leave a Reply