A day out at Penrhyn Castle

Approaching Penrhyn Castle

There’s no better place for a murder than a castle and Wales can boast more than 600 of them. That’s more castles per square mile than any other country in the world.

Some, like Conwy Castle, built for Edward 1 in the 12th century, are massively splendid examples of what a medieval fortification should be.You may recall it was here that poor old Harry Saunders took a very bad fall in my third novel, A Killer’s Christmas in Wales.Others, like the neo-Norman fantasy Penrhyn Castle, are more modern and built on a more modest scale. With its high-Victorian style, you might think Penrhyn Castle closer to country house than castle, but however you want to describe it, it’s well worth a visit.

Located near Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales, Penrhyn Castle was built in the 19th century by the Douglas-Pennant family with money earned from the family interests in Jamaican sugar and Welsh slate.

The castle is filled with interesting and unusual items, including an elaborately carved slate bed, made for a visit by Queen Victoria. It also features one of the best private collections of paintings in all of Wales.The grounds include parkland and a Victorian walled garden.The castle, with stunning views across to Snowdonia and the Menai Strait, is now the property of the National Trust.

The upstairs rooms are grand and beautifully appointed. But the below stairs rooms offer a tantalizing glimpse into a bygone era. I’ve included a few images from my day out below. Tell me in the comments which one is your favourite.

P.S. Don’t forget to vote for Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By on the Goodreads 2013 most anticipated mysteries