Renowned for its striking architecture, Plas Teg in Wales has a rich history. Located to the South-east of Leeswood, overlooking the Alun valley, Plas Teg is one of the finest Jacobean houses in Wales. Built in 1610 by Sir John Trevor of Trevalyn Hall – a prominent courtier of King James I, it was said to be one of the most advanced houses in Wales at the time.
Home to many Jacobean courtiers, the house served as a country residence for the Trevor family, but remained largely unoccupied after Sir John died in 1629 and his wife in 1643, as the English Civil War broke out. During the Second World War, it was used by the War Office as housing for soldiers during the Second World War and slipped into a period of decay until the 1950s, when it was saved from demolition by a descendant of the Trevor family, Patrick Trevor-Roper, who came forward and took over the property. With some help from the Historic Buildings Council, he partially restored the building and leased it until 1977 when Mr and Mrs William Llewelyn purchased it.
The current owner, Cornelia Bayley acquired Plas Teg in 1986 and carried out a series of works to the house, which served as her private residence. The house was open to the public for tours and events. The grounds surrounding the house have a symmetrical layout with a walled garden, prominent lime avenue and statuary. Bayley, now in her 80s, has decided to sell some of the contents of the house at auction, managed by Rogers Jones & Co.
Bayley is said to be an incorrigible collector, the result of which is being auctioned off in a series of sales until April, to raise funds for her care. There is always sadness in seeing the dismantling of someone’s life, but apparently Bayley is keen to see her work continued by equally keen collectors (BBC).
News of the sale has certainly been of interest to collectors and for those keen adorn their gardens with some Plas Teg’s statuary, pots and/or garden paraphernalia it may be worth having a peruse of the sale. Included in the vast contents of the interior is a selection of outdoor contents, such as garden benches, statues, urns, pedestals and stoneware.
“With the provenance of Plas Teg, it’s unlikely that another collection like this will ever come on the market again in our lifetimes,” said Auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones.
There are rumours that Bayley intends to gift the house to the National Trust or the Landmark Trust, but that remains unconfirmed. The National Trust Cymru owns 38 acres of land on the Plas Teg estate, which is managed on their behalf by a tenant farmer.