Hi,

We've just returned from a weekend away visiting family near Fishguard.  Fishguard is a coastal town/port in Pembrokeshire West Wales.  A Ferry runs between the town and Ireland it's so close you can easily watch Irish TV.

I started visiting Pembrokeshire about 8 years ago when I learnt to dive at the West Wales Diving School  (I had just started dating a girl I was really keen on and she could dive and I couldn't - it was my good luck that we later married ).  Clare's cousin Lynda owns a farm a few miles away from Fishguard and we try and visit a couple of times a year.  The scenery is fabulous with huge green hills all around and the sea just down the road.  Normally we still in a static caravan on the farm but this time we got to stay in the cottage beside the farmhouse. 

As I mentioned we've been visiting the farm for a while now and I hadn't expected to discover anything new about it.    On the way down Clare mentioned something about "the ruins on the farm" as though I should know all about them.  I had no idea what she was talking about and so I asked a few questions and she told me about the ruins of Llanstinan House, a mansion built in the 18th century and burnt down following the second world war after a fire took hold in the chimney.  Of course by now my imagination is on fire!  I love old buildings, castles and connecting with the past.

When we arrived I managed to have a chat with Derek (Lynda's husband) and he produced a magazine article and some photographs of the old house when it was standing.  It really was a proper mansion in it's day, four floors I think with a cellar and basement for servants a number of outbuildings and a stable block.  Apparently the house was built in 1769 (and later partially rebuilt in 1908) and had a number of owners including I think Colonel Knox who was in charge of the Fishguard Fencibles (a local militia that was involved in the French invasion of Fishguard in 1797) and ancestors of Terry Wogan.  During the second world war the mansion was home to four refugee families.  The chimney fire destroyed much of the main house and the then owner took to living above the stable block until he died and then the remaining outbuildings fell into disuse and were overtaken by the elements in the late seventies I think.

Unfortunately I had to wait a couple of days before I could get down there and have a look for myself.  But eventually I did.  Once upon a time visitors would have approached the house by a road/track bordered on both sides by trees creating a large tunnel creating a very impressive and dramatic effect.  Today that 'tunnel' is largely gone and instead there's a healthy wood that has more or less overtaken the whole site.  Though close to the road the house can't be seen unless you walk a few hundred yards into the wood at the bottom of the farm.

The original site was substantial and as you walk in from the road you first meet the wall that contained the stable block and out buildings. Passing through the pillars that would have held two large gates you reach a courtyard filled with rubble and slate from the roof.  In the rubble I found a large lead weight that would have been used to open and close huge sash windows.  The roof of the stable block is long gone but you can still see the cobblestone floor and outline of the individual pens for the horses.  Running up and down the slate drainage system remains almost as good as new.  The other outbuildings contain fireplaces, remains of windows and storage areas.  It's not clear exactly what the uses were but I imagine there was some accommodation for servants here.

Anyway onto the main house.  The roof and all of the floors are long gone and all that remains are the walls and some internals doorways.  The upper floors have collapsed into the middle of the house and large trees have grown in and through the house.  Curiously two of the original chimney stacks remain, this was a very tall house.  On the outside wall on one side the date 1769 appears, this is almost at the top of the house put on I guess as it near completion.  There's a large courtyard with the remains of some kind of gas lamp.  There's not much to say about the vast majority of the building.  One side is covered in slate tiles, and other has a wonderful doorway in art deco style in think built in 1908.  Near the doorway there are stone a steps leading down into  what was an ornamental garden which included a number of Palm trees.

It's sad to see what would have been a truly impressive house and grounds ruined but my imagination is still working overtime thinking about what lies underneath the rubble and in what would have been the basement and cellar.  Clare seems to think she has seen a book which claims the ruins are haunted.

Fancy having your own private wood and historic ruin, lucky people

It's a long drive home and Clare and I take turns.  Between choruses of "where are we going?" and "how many minutes till we get there?" I try to watch Hellboy on my iPod.  When I finally get bored of the questions and I tell my son we are going to the moon he slaps his forehead and says "Oh no not again!"  

If you fancy a stay in Pembrokeshire Lynda rents the cottage out see here.  And if you are on the lookout for a fantastic band at your wedding or party Lynda's' daughter has a really good band (she also writes and records on her own music - her latest recordings sound a little like Evanescence but better, and some of her other music is a little country).   Her band soundAWAKE can be found here.  I'm hoping they'll start a blog of their own and maybe start selling their music online soon.  I've promised to take my guitar down to jam next time we visit.  I'm going to have some lessons first though

If you made it this far, thanks for reading I know it's been a long post.  After I've rested my typing hand and in a day or so I'll tell you about Bradley.....

ta ta for now,
Jason.