We don't have any photos of this building yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?
Latitude: 52.9152 / 52°54'54"N
Longitude: -3.602 / 3°36'7"W
OS Eastings: 292375
OS Northings: 336508
OS Grid: SH923365
Mapcode National: GBR 6D.NFHC
Mapcode Global: WH66Z.MZZJ
Plus Code: 9C4RW98X+35
Entry Name: Bodiwan
Listing Date: 13 December 2001
Last Amended: 13 December 2001
Grade: II
Source: Cadw
Source ID: 26021
ID on this website: 300026021
Location: Set back slightly from the road at the junction with Craig-y-Fron, opposite Bala College.
County: Gwynedd
Community: Bala (Y Bala)
Community: Bala
Traditional County: Merionethshire
Tagged with: Architectural structure
Bodiwan was the home of Michael Daniel Jones (1822-1898), Congregationalist minister, ardent Welsh nationalist and Principal of the Independent College at Bala.
The house was built by him following his marriage to a Miss Lloyd of Ruthin in 1859 and for a while housed the break-away faction of the Bala College. Jones was a considerable figure in C19 Wales and has been called the `father of the nationalist renaissance.' He followed his father, Michael Jones, as Principal of the Bala College, which his father had established, and additionally served as pastor of the Congregational chapel in the town.
Jones' nationalism and dissatisfaction with contemporary political situation led him to become one of the chief figures in attempting to establish a Welsh colony in Pategonia. As a consequence of the failure of this venture, Jones was bankrupted in 1865, and was forced to sell his home to the college in 1871. In 1879 an internal dispute within the College resulted in a split, part of it remaining at Bodiwan with Jones, whilst part of it moved to Plas-yn-Dre. In the following year Jones was dismissed as Principal and Thomas Lewis was appointed in his place. Jones, however, remained at Bodiwan until his death in 1898.
Detatched mid-Victorian house of two storeys plus attic, in simple Tudor-Gothic style; of rough-dressed, snecked stone construction with slatestone dressings. Medium-steep slate roofs with tiled ridges and oversailing eaves and verges; plain chimneys with cornicing. The main front is near-symmetrical and of 3 bays, with gabled cross-wings flanking a recessed central entrance bay. This has a central entrance with panelled door plain flanking pilasters, with 6-pane lights beyond; rectangular overlight. The central bay has a continuous slated canopy porch with a gablet over the entrance; decorative cusping to bargeboards. Above the entrance is a wooden cross-window with marginally-glazed panes and slatestone lintel. The outer bays have decorative bargeboards and similar cross-windows with returned labels to the first floor and the ground-floor R. That to the ground floor L is in the form of a wooden canted bay with moulded cornice. Small square attic lights.
The road-facing elevation (E) has a 2-bay main section with similar gable to the left-hand bay; windows as before, with canted bay to the ground-floor L. Stepped-down and set back to the R is a one-and-a-half storey service block with gable over a first floor cross-window breaking the eaves. Rear gables with decorative bargeboards as before.
The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.
Listed, as a mid Victorian house, of special interest as the home of the Congregationalist minister, Welsh nationalist and Bala College Principal, Michael Daniel Jones (1822-1898).
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Other nearby listed buildings
