Plas Brondanw

We had so many lovely days out in Wales that I'd be pushed to pick a favourite but our trip to Plas Brondanw does stick in my memory, possibly because the place is just so photogenic. 

It became the  home of William Clough Ellis of Portmeirion fame (it had been in is family since it was built and he was offered it as a home when a young man). I've been to Portmeirion and found it weird and disconcerting. Plas Brondanw is neither of those things. The house was originally built in the 16th Century and Clough Ellis did a lot of work to it to make it suitable as a family home for 20th Century living. It was badly damaged by fire in 1931 but after restoration remained the home of Clough Ellis and his wife until they died. 

As well as the house he spent a fortune redesigning and extending the garden. You can't  go inside the house but you can visit the gardens (the welsh cakes in the cafe were excellent!) and they ae splendid. They must be, as I took a lot of photographs, and here are some of the best ones.