Episode 1: Early History

Welcome to Podlediad Penrhyn, an exciting five-part podcast exploring the history of an influential estate in north Wales, the Penrhyn estate.

Penrhyn Castle is a country house in Gwynedd, now a major visitor attraction managed by the National Trust, which previously sat at the heart of an extensive landed estate stretching across parts of in northwest Wales.

Your host, PhD researcher Kayla Jones, will take you through various aspects of the estate’s story, from its medieval history, connections with slavery and role in the global slate industry to considerations of Penrhyn today, its place in north Wales, and its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

In this first episode, we'll dive into Penrhyn's medieval history, where we'll learn about the Griffith family, who ruled north Wales in the days of Owain Glyndŵr. We'll learn about famous bards who preformed Welsh praise poetry, and hear about castle raids, an infamous pirate and more!  

For show notes, archival material and videos, check out the podcast website Podlediad Penrhyn.