The Glynhir Estate

General information

Glynhir is located two miles from the village of Llandybie, between the towns of Ammanford and Llandeilo, and just ten miles from the end of the M4. Its name ‘glyn hir’ means ‘long valley’ and describes the way the mansion was built on a plateau above a seven mile long wooded gorge at the foot of the Black Mountains.

Glynhir offers both B&B in the 17th century mansion and self catering accommodation in six historic cottages. There are also lots of excellent pubs and restaurants in area which we can happily recommend.

The Mansion

For over 35 years, Katy and Carole Jenkins have been welcoming guests to Glynhir Mansion, a place of large rooms, comfy beds and delicious supper smells.

Originally built during the mid 1600s, the mansion is now Georgian fronted with a moss-covered stone & slate roof. Step in through the heavy wooden front door and up a Regency dog-leg staircase to four spacious bedrooms, simply furnished and all with garden views. There’s a cosy sitting room complete with a baby grand piano and roaring log fire, and a large conservatory that’s perfect for sunny evenings.

In her typically informal and relaxed style, Katy serves nothing but home cooked dishes made with herbs, fruit and veggies from the kitchen garden and orchard. For breakfast there are eggs from the resident ducks and chickens, along with homemade jam and honey from Glynhir’s own hives, all served on crockery made by Carole in the Glynhir pottery. Leftovers are rare, much to the disappointment of the kune kune pigs!

The Cottages

Clustered round the cobbled farmyard and duck pond, the six Grade II listed cottages provide self-catered accommodation. They were all once farm buildings, housing either farm workers or animals. Originally built between the 1600s and 1800’s, they have been carefully restored by the Jenkins family and they retain their mellow stonework and oak beams, although these days the wood burning stoves (firewood available for purchase) are supplemented with central heating! Inside, the decor is unfussy – in anticipation of muddy boots and children after a day out in the Carmarthenshire countryside – and all have well equipped kitchens.

The Brew House (Sleeps 7)
Once used for producing the estate’s beer, the Brew House looks out on to farmyard through French doors set in the old coach arches which are adorned with clematis and roses. The sitting room is sunny and spacious but turns cosy as soon as the fire is lit.

The Bailiff’s House (Sleeps 8)

This is the oldest of the cottages and once accommodated the estate bailiff and his family. Enter from the farmyard into a large open plan hallway/living room which retains the original flagstone floor. See if you can spot the old bread oven in the old kitchen!

Courtyard Cottage (Sleeps 7)

The Courtyard cottage sits snugly in the corner of the farmyard between two of the other cottages. In fact, the ancient building with its creeper clad walls and mossy roof tiles was once the dairy for the Bailiff’s House.

Orchard Cottage (Sleeps 5)

The most peaceful of all the old farm buildings, this cottage is set back away from the farmyard behind the stone walls of the orchard. Inside there’s a traditional cottage finish and a beautiful view out to the kitchen garden and copse of knarled fruit trees.

Paddock Flat (Sleeps 7)

Made of local sandstone, the Paddock Flat once formed part of original stables and was open to roof level when the Jenkins’ first arrived! From a grassy paddock, enter through the porch and up the stairs to a large open plan kitchen/dining room with sensational views of the Black Mountains.

Stable Flat (Sleeps 6)

Situated above the old smithy and carpenter’s shop, the Stable Flat used to be the stable boys’ living quarters. Climb the ancient stone steps and enter through a quirky low entrance into welcoming kitchen/dining room which overlooks the farmyard.

History

There’s an illustrious history hidden in the old stone walls and ancient parkland at Glynhir – an interesting story behind almost every feature, from the crumbling dovecote to the ice house buried in the woods!

The earliest records show that Glynhir was owned by a Welsh family called the Powell’s. Very little is known about them other than that Morgan and Elizabeth Powell attended and are buried at the local church.

In 1770, the estate (then 420 acres) was bought by Peter Du Buisson for £3,000. A Frenchman, he had fled to England in 1685 as one of the 40,000 Huguenot Protestants seeking refuge from religious persecution at the hands of King Louis XIV.

The archives describe how Peter Du Buisson was detained in Carmarthenshire by bad weather in 1770 en route to Ireland. Taking advantage of this delay to visit the surrounding countryside, he was so charmed by the beauty of Glynhir that he bought the estate there and then. He didn’t end up going to Ireland!

After he died, Peter’s son William inherited Glynhir and his investment in agriculture (mainly growing wheat, barley, oats and hay) secured the Du Buisson reputation as an important landowning family. His wife Caroline was also active in the community, founding a girls’ school and commissioning the rebuild of two local churches.

One source of speculation was the ‘cutlery works’ (or knife factory) that the family set up. Rumour had it that the factory was used to manufacture weapons which were then illegally smuggled to France during the Napoleonic Wars. The 25 foot deep ice house, which guests can still find down by the river, was supposedly used to hide contraband, arms and even French spies! Some also believed that the dovecote with its 750 nesting boxes was the means for sending treasonous messages across the Channel.

While all this is generally regarded as being not much more than conjecture, there is one famous story that the historians vouch for. One summer, William Du Buisson’s two nephews stayed at Glynhir; it is said that when they were recalled to join their army unit in France, they took several carrier-pigeons back with them. Some time later, following the English victory at Waterloo, the pigeons flew home to Wales with the news of Napoleon’s defeat, making the Du Buissons some of the very first people to hear of it. Apparently, Caroline Du Buisson then rode at once to London with the intention of buying up British Government stocks which were at a low ebb, reflecting the country’s fear of defeat. When the depressed stock market finally got wind of Napoleon’s defeat, prices rose sharply and Caroline Du Buisson was able to sell her stocks at a huge profit. It is thought that the line of chestnut trees at Glynhir was planted to commemorate the battle and her financial triumph!

The Glynhir estate remained in the family until it was sold by Arthur Edmund Du Buisson in 1921. It then had eight successive owners until it was bought by Mr Bill Jenkins in 1965, by which time only 240 acres remained and most of the buildings were in disrepair.

In an interview with a local journalist, Bill Jenkins explained, “When we arrived, the mansion hadn’t been used for many years except for three rooms. You can imagine the state of the rest of the building.” The early years were hard but the Jenkins’ stuck to their dream, turning down offers from numerous developers along the way; one wanted to knock down the mansion and build a 200 room hotel! They went as far as selling the Glynhir Mill, and the ruins of the old knife factory with its adjoining land which were used for residential development and a golf course.

For the Jenkins family, their ownership of Glynhir has never been about money. “That would be a betrayal to history,” said Bill, “I don’t look upon myself as the owner of the estate but as a keeper who will look after Glynhir and protect it for future generations.”

Sadly, Bill Jenkins died in 1992 but his wife Carole and daughter Katy have stayed true to everything Bill believed in – and Glynhir remains a place of authentic Welsh history to this day.

Things to do

There is more than enough to keep you busy both at Glynhir and further afield. Whether it’s an art course or an ancient Celtic castle, a day on the beach or a spot of fishing or horse riding, you’ll find an activity for you on the estate or just a short drive away.

Katy is always on hand to help you plan your stay and are happy to book trips and courses on your behalf.

Things to do at Glynhir:

Art courses – various media including painting, pottery, quilting, patchwork, photography
Creative writing courses
Fishing on the river Loughor (permits required) – for brown trout and sewin
Bird Watching – Glynhir is home to red kites, buzzards, sparrow hawks, grey heron, nuthatch, wood warbler, wagtails and dippers
Walking – roam the estate’s 220 acres!
Riding – Bring your horse and ride at a local stables

Things to do further afield:

Golf course – an 18 hole course 500 yards down the road
Horse riding – several excellent riding schools in the area for all abilities
The Castles of Dinefwr, Carreg Cennen, Dryslwyn and Llanstephen
Browse the shops in nearby market town of Llandeilo
Explore Carmarthenshire, ‘the garden of Wales’
- National Botanic gardens
- Lost gardens of Aberglasney
- Dinefwr Park
- Gelli Aur Country Park
Sandy beaches at the Gower and Carmarthen Bay
Walking in the spectacular Brecon Beacons
Fishing on the Towy in Llandeilo
Roman Gold Mines at Dolaucothi
Dylan Thomas’ Boat House

These are just a few ideas to get you started, but there are also steam railways, caves, livestock markets, old fashioned wool and flour mills, art galleries and craft shops and much more – just ask Katy!