Gregynog Hall invites visitors inside for friendly Open House event

Gregynog Hall is inviting visitors to discover its rich history with a new Open House event celebrating its connections to Welsh art, music and social reform.

The free drop-in event will take place on Wednesday, October 28, from 11am to 3pm, with activities for all ages at the historic hall near Newtown.

Visitors will be able to explore different rooms and learn about the people who have lived at Gregynog over the centuries, including sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, who made the hall a centre for culture and the arts.

Activities will include an artist’s workshop, reading in the library and a play and crafts area for young children.

There will also be guided tours of the Blayney Room, featuring wooden panelling carved for an earlier version of the hall in 1636, and performances in the Music Room.

The room has musical connections to composers Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst, who both conducted the Gregynog Choir.

Although Gregynog's history dates back at least 800 years, the Davies sisters were among its most notable residents. They lived at the hall from 1920 and established it as a cultural hub, hosting annual music and poetry festivals and building a pioneering collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.

They also used the house as a meeting place for influential figures to discuss peace, education and social change.

In 1960, Margaret Davies bequeathed the hall and its estate to the University of Wales, which remained there until 2019.

David Chell, chief executive of Gregynog Hall, said the event would take inspiration from the sisters' legacy.

He said: “For this Open House, we’re taking inspiration from the Davies sisters and filling Gregynog with Welsh art, music and heritage.

“They opened their home to artists, thinkers and guests from all walks of life, and we want our visitors to feel the same warmth and creative energy as they discover the hall’s stories.”

The event has been made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of Gregynog's Raise the Roof! appeal.

The appeal has received a development phase grant to help progress a conservation-led project aimed at securing the estate's future, including essential repairs to the roof of the Grade II*-listed hall.

Andrew White, director for Wales at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the support would help shape a sustainable future for the historic site.

He said the hall's connections to music, art and Welsh culture gave it an extraordinary story to tell, adding that events such as the Open House would help people discover its heritage and learn about plans for its future.

Entry to the event is free, although parking charges will apply.