Holiday home plan for Eryri hall where John Lennon once stayed as a child

Dale Spridgeon

A historic Eryri hall where The Beatles star John Lennon is rumoured to have stayed as a child could become holiday accommodation.

The Grade II-listed Dolfriog Hall, near Beddgelert, once operated as a school residential centre and is thought to date back to the 1830s.

Eryri National Park Authority planners have been asked to consider two submissions to update the four-storey country house, which is set in extensive grounds.

They will consider a full application to change the use of the building from a hostel to short-term, self-catering holiday letting accommodation.

Applicant Steve Lamb is also asking planners to consider Listed Building consent for internal alterations associated with the proposed change of use.

The house is located east of the village of Nantmor, south east of Beddgelert.

The unique residence retains many original features including a carved fireplace, oak staircase, arched doors and stone mullion and full-length windows.

Alterations

The plans note: “Dolfriog Hall looked to have been used as a residential home, possibly for holidays or groups of school children.

“There are various references online to people having stayed there in the past 40 years or so.

“Although many recollections appear a bit vague it is clear that it was a well utilised building until relatively recently.”

The property has had later alterations that tie in with being used for multiple occupancy, possibly a bed and breakfast residence in addition to the group use but which had “not eroded the original form”.

The plans stated that the applicants wished to use the building as “a commercial venture with the option of the owners either living at the property or elsewhere, plus the option of either renting to a single large group (say up to 20) or individuals”.

The plans also state that the estate of Dolfriog has a long history centred on old Dolfriog, which survives to the south of the present house.

“Old Dolfriog is associated with Dafydd Nanmor, as the home of Gwen o’r Ddol, to whom he addressed several cywyddau, (poems) and which was later home of the Anwyl family until the mid 18th century. In 1830, the Nanmor estate was bought by George Holmes Jackson, and it was Jackson who built the present house,” the documents say.

“In 1885 Dolfriog was acquired by William Lowson, who spent a great deal of money on improvements to the property.

“It is possible that some of these included changes to the house, since its architectural character appears the result of more than one phase of building.

“It could be possible that a villa in a Georgian Gothic style was given its present Tudor-gothic character in the later 19th century.”