Gwrych Castle - A Pictorial History (2000): CLICK HERE TO BUY!
Back Cover:
The successor to 1999’s Rise and Fall of Gwrych Castle was published in November 2000 when Mark Baker was aged fifteen years old. It is a Victorian style picture-postcard collection, with images taken from the vast archive that has been collected over the years. It illustrates the history of Gwrych, Estate and the campaign to find a resolution to the dereliction of the Castle. Following winning an award as ASDA’s Local Hero for Mark’s involvement with saving the built heritage, this book is sponsored by ASDA.
Contents:
Foreword by Liz Legge, Chairperson of the Llanddulas Village Hall Association
Introduction
Hesky’s Old Library (Hesketh Family)
The Formidable Lady Dundonald (Dundonald Family)
The Estate
Views of Gwrych
Entertainment Years
The Sad Decline
The Campaign
Contact Organisations
Acknowledgements
Book Reviews:
Schoolboy Gives a History Lesson
A book charting the history of a crumbling mansion in pictures will be launched
this weekend.
15 year old Mark Baker has compiled a unique pictorial history of Gwrych
Castle, a Grade 1 listed building in Abergele. Using pictures sourced from
as far as Australia, this fascinating collection shows the castle throughout
the changing seasons – as you’ve never seen it before.
“Although publishing this book has been expensive, I think it is important
to our community to try to make an effort to save the castle. I would like
to thank the Friends of Gwrych Castle (ASFOG) and Margaret Lambert Jones
for all their help”, said Mark, who will attend the book launch at Llanddulas
Village Hall on Saturday.
“Hopefully the book will make an unusual Christmas gift for people”, he
added.
Mark’s dedication to saving the 200 year old derelict pile began when he
was just 12 years old and in recent months he has taken his cause to the
top, appearing on TV with Esther Rantzen and meeting Prime Minister Tony
Blair.
Abergele and Pensarn Visitor 2000
Mark Relives Castle History
A teenager who has fought to save Gwrych Castle has published his second
book about the historic landmark. Mark Baker, 15, from Prestatyn has put
together A Pictorial History of Gwrych Castle using postcards and pictures
donated and loaned by people who visited the castle in its heyday, the National
Library of Wales and private collections.
The book also features pictures taken when Mark, a pupil at Rydal Penrhos
in Colwyn Bay, met Prince Charles for private talks about the future of
the castle on a visit to North Wales. The teenager, who has also written
the book ‘The Rise and Fall of Gwrych Castle’ which traces the history of
the building and the many families who lived there, said “I am very pleased
to get this second book done and hope that it is well received by the public.
I am not sure whether I will start work immediately on the next book, as
I have my GCSE’s coming up and need to prepare for them.
The book was launched at an exhibition held at Llanddulas Village Hall,
which included memorabilia concerning the 19th century folly. Invluding
printed maps of the estate dating back to the 1840’s.
• The American owner of Gwrych Castle has promised to inject $3 million
into giving the folly a facelift. In a phone conversation with Mark, Californian
Nick Tavaglione said he hoped to return the exterior and part of the grounds
to its former glory, as well as some of the interior.
Rhyl and Prestatyn Journal 2000