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Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Wales Online
You could own a Welsh castle on the coast but it is probably not what you expect
Meander along the scenic waterside driveway to a gated entrance and, as the first introduction to this unique home called The Hall, you already know you're visiting something special that begins with being greeted by a surprising castellated façade on a house that is centuries old. But before stepping inside this incredible castle, the 17 acres of beautiful grounds will effortlessly entice you to explore and enjoy. On the seaward side, the house is flanked by enchanting woodland, dotted with mature rhododendrons, wildflowers, and shrubbery, complemented by picturesque formal lawns and ample parking spaces. At the back of the property lies an exquisite walled garden brimming with fresh fruit and vegetables, meticulously tended to by the current owners. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here READ MORE: Stunning designer home with incredible sea views and a brilliant surprise in the garden Adjacent to the walled garden is another standout feature of the property: a large stone stable block offering significant development potential, subject to planning. Given its proximity to Milford Haven Waterway, it's no surprise that the property also features a boathouse with direct access to the bay's tidal waters. The Hall began its life as a farmhouse. However, over the centuries, it has evolved into what is arguably one of the most unique and captivating mansions in Wales, drawing the attention of numerous individuals and organisations. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales describes The Hall as a 'large house with extraordinary mixture of styles, pseudo-medieval rear, crenellated front with Victorian conservatory. Much altered but retains an early core'. The castellations, as well as many other features, are said to have been added by Lt Col Richard Walter Byrd Mirehouse who served in South Africa and came back with architectural ideas that we can still see around the house and throughout Angle village today. The accommodation is so remarkable that during the Second World War, The Hall was requisitioned by the Canadian Airforce to accommodate their forces from the nearby airfield. Arguably surprisingly The Hall is not listed which, according to the agent, presents vast opportunities for a buyer looking to capitalise on this space for a boutique hotel, wedding venue, or even an educational institution as well as a stunning coastal home. Owned by the same family for nearly 300 years, the much-loved house has been the setting for making family memories through multiple generations. Inside, the sprawling accommodation includes three large formal reception rooms over the ground and first floor, with those on the upper level enjoying views of the water through the trees. There are a range of other reception spaces, snugs, and offices throughout the ground floor as well as a vast kitchen diner and several large storage rooms and utility spaces - there is oodles of potential to make the versatile spaces work for the next owner's lifestyle and accommodation needs. There are additional indoor outdoor spaces too, confirming that this house is without doubt a unique proposition, including a stunning double height conservatory which houses mature specimen plants and at the heart of the building is a central courtyard which acts as a hub for the property that encircles it. Tucked away in a tranquil corner of Pembrokeshire near the village of Angle, The Hall enjoys a private and serene coastal setting overlooking East Angle Bay. The location within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park on a peninsula is peaceful and secluded, away from the county's busiest sea view areas and yet is conveniently close to all of the area's Blue Flag and National Trust beaches - some of the best in the UK. The Hall is for sale with a guide price of £1.5m with Country Living Group, call 01437 616101 to find out more. For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here.
The Guardian
10-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Wales is the land of song. Now it's being silenced by cuts that threaten our culture
What is a nation? There are several, varying definitions, but ultimately it comes down to the same answer: a large group of people bound together through shared culture, history and language. For us in Cymru, the idea of a Welsh nation is something about which we are pretty sensitive and protective. Our most provocative historian, Gwyn Alf Williams, said that Wales has 'from birth … lived with the threat of extinction' and that the survival of Welsh nationhood is 'one of the minor miracles of history'. To those of you who mainly know Wales through the occasional holiday, the Six Nations and Gareth Bale, this might sound an odd thing to say. After all, whenever you see Wales or Welsh people represented anywhere they are loudly and unequivocally, well, Welsh. But this is not merely an expression of pride; it is a necessity. Wales is a nation of just over 3 million people bordering a country of 57 million, so there is an ever present risk that we could be swallowed up and amalgamated. Our nation didn't even have a capital city until Cardiff was named in 1955. This insecurity about our own existence is summed up in the chorus of the song Yma o Hyd, which is sung before Welsh international football matches: 'Ry'n ni yma o hyd / Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth.' This translates as: 'We are still here, in spite of everyone and everything.' Back in 1997, Wales voted for devolution, and the Welsh assembly was created in 1999. This officially became the Welsh parliament (Senedd Cymru) in 2020. One of the overriding motivations for devolution was that it would protect Wales and Welsh nationhood. It came with the promise that the future development of our nation would be in our hands and safeguarded. However, the emptiness of this promise has been laid bare by a system that is in many ways the worst of both worlds. Wales is left with a UK government that feels it can wash its hands of responsibility for us, while successive Welsh governments have seemingly lacked the talent, drive or fiscal levers to make Wales better. If you want an example of this, look no further than the truly awful position of culture within Wales. The numbers are stark. A recent Senedd committee report found that Wales ranks second from bottom, among selected European countries, in terms of cultural services spending for each person. Only Greece was lower. Even from the miserly wider UK perspective, Wales's cultural spend is pitiful. Cymru spends £69.68 a person for cultural services, compared with the UK's £91.12. For context, Spain spends about £113, Ireland £149, Belgium £209 and France £237. Iceland tops the table at £691.60. In sport, it is just as bad: Wales spends £5 to £6 a head; by contrast, Ireland spends £27.50. It wasn't always this way. Welsh cultural budgets have been slashed over the last decade. Between 2014/15 and 2024/25, funding for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has declined by 34% in real terms. Sport Wales has seen a 9% fall, the Books Council of Wales's total income has reduced by 20% and revenue funding for the Arts Council of Wales reduced in real terms by 29%. It is heartbreaking to see how these cuts manifest themselves day to day across Cymru. Just last weekend, the National Museum Cardiff announced it was temporarily closing its doors because of the building's deteriorating condition. It has since reopened, but still, events tell a story. Only nine months before, the Welsh culture secretary gave assurances the building would remain open. National Youth Arts Wales, which is an umbrella organisation for the likes of the National Youth Choir and National Youth Theatre (and where Michael Sheen, Matthew Rhys, Ruth Jones and Rakie Ayola started their journeys) has railed against the 'shameful' state of youth arts funding in Wales. The situation has become such that Sheen last month funded the launch of the Welsh National Theatre after the National Theatre Wales 'ceased to exist' following £1.6m in cuts to its core funding from Arts Council of Wales. There is a wider issue here for Wales because the arts is also a vital way in which the Welsh language is promoted. Going back to that definition of what it is to be a 'nation', a key part of it is shared culture and language. These cuts are not merely tragic because they rob individuals of all the benefits that come with the arts; they are also robbing Wales of a major part of what makes it a nation. That the National Museum Cardiff building was closed because of its dilapidated state encapsulates this very issue. Its construction in 1912 began as part of a huge nation-building programme within Wales. It was about making Wales distinct. At the time, legislation covering England and Wales didn't say 'England and Wales' as it does now; it simply read 'England' (this didn't change till the 1950s). To be a nation and not merely an appendage of England, it was felt you needed a museum. Now, 25 years into devolution, it is crumbling due to lack of funds. The blame for this sorry state of affairs lies in several places. Since the onset of Tory austerity in 2010, successive Welsh Labour governments have had to reallocate money into a struggling health service, which has to contend with a population that is older, sicker and more spread out than in England. But the Welsh Labour government must not be given a pass on this. If they were acting in the theatre, their performance as the stewards of Wales's culture would have been lampooned and derided for totally lacking in believability. While they have been dealt a tough hand financially, there are failings that they must own. Last weekend I published the contents of a leaked internal report from within the 'cultural division' inside the Welsh government, which surveyed the views of staff. This included condemnation of the alleged lack of 'real performance management taking place' within the government, meaning that 'managers who may not wish to have difficult conversations can avoid them and therefore staff who are not performing 'get away' with it'. It also found that staff felt 'there was no sense of strategic long term planning' and there was 'a widely held view that ministers' expectations are not being managed'. It is woeful that this is the department charged with overseeing culture in Wales. When you erode Welsh culture you erode Wales. The arts are not a 'nice to have'; they are vital. Urgent change is needed or else the land of song risks being finally silenced. Will Hayward is a Guardian columnist
