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History
It is thought that the name Craflwyn is derived from “Criafolen” – the Welsh for mountain ash.
The history of the Craflwyn estate dates back to 1200 AD when Prince Llywelyn the Great gave the land as part of the township of Nanhwynain to the Cistercian monks. Until 1536 the land was farmed by the monks as part of a monastic grange which included the whole township.
Following 1536 and the dissolution of the monasteries, the land was farmed and later bought by Maredudd ab Ieuan. He was a former steward of the monastic land in Nantgwynant, and founded the Wynn family of Gwydir, formerly of Dolwyddelan.
The estate was passed into the ownership of the Jones family, probably following the marriage of Maredudd ap Ieuan’s granddaughter Annes to Morys Jones. By 1604 it had become a gentry estate and it is likely that the house was rebuilt at this time.
By the mid 1700s the family no longer lived in the house. It was let to tenants to raise income and was passed on through relations to the Parry family.
In 1873 Llywelyn Parry rebuilt the old farmhouse as a miniature estate. He also established the woodland gardens, plantations, home farm and lodge. It is his initials which appear, with the date “1873”, on the plaque on the gable end of the lodge. Although he lived on the estate with his family for a short time he continued to let it out until he sold it in 1895. This ended the family connection with Craflwyn which had continued for at least 300 years.
There followed a succession of owners until it was acquired by The National Trust in 1994. The estate had been neglected and so The National Trust embarked on an extensive restoration programme for the house, gardens, woodland and parkland. Its proximity to the legendary Dinas Emrys (where the red dragon is first recorded in history), and to Snowdon contributes to the importance of the estate. It has become the focus for all The National Trust’s activities in the Nantgwynant valley.
