The Bodnant estate has been owned by the same family for over 130 years:

In January 1875 Henry Davis Pochin (1824-1895), a successful Victorian entrepreneur, purchased the Bodnant Estate. A trained chemist as well as an industrialist, Mr. Pochin had invented a means of clarifying rosin to produce coloured soap and he had also developed processes for the production of china clay from Cornwall. He became involved in various industries, and was for a period also an MP. A man of great energy and many talents, he created the famous laburnum arch in the Garden.

Mr. Pochin’s daughter, Laura, inherited the Estate in 1895. She had married Charles McLaren (1850-1934), another MP who in 1911 was created Lord Aberconway by Lloyd George for political services. He chose the title “Aberconway”, which is Welsh for “at the mouth of the Conway”, because of the location of the Bodnant Estate on the River Conway.

Charles’ and Laura’s son, Henry McLaren (1879-1953), was also an MP and a successful industrialist before he inherited the title in 1934 to become the 2nd Lord Aberconway. He devoted his energies at Bodnant mainly to the Garden, which is principally his creation – most notably the five great terraces facing Snowdonia. He developed and managed the Garden for about 50 years until his death in 1953, gifting it to the National Trust in 1949. He was also an enthusiastic and skilled shot, and he built two shooting lodges on the Estate, including an unusual one thatched in heather sited high above the Conway Valley.

His son, Charles McLaren (1913-2003), the 3rd Lord Aberconway and another successful industrialist, similarly devoted his considerable energies at Bodnant mainly to the Garden, which he managed, extended and enhanced for another 50 years until his death in 2003.

The Estate is now owned by his younger son, Michael McLaren (b.1958), a practising QC, who with his wife Caroline is closely involved in the management of the Estate. He is also the Manager of Bodnant Garden on behalf of the National Trust.

Henry the, second Lord Aberconway (1879-1953), who was on the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society managed to persuade the National Trust to accept the gardens for preservation:

Henry persuaded the National Trust to accept for preservation gardens on their own merit as distinct from gardens incidentally acquired with houses. He also persuaded Sir Stafford Cripps, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to exempt gifts to charities from Death Duties after one year subsequent to the gift; this reduced liability was later removed altogether. Hidcote was the first garden to be accepted by the National Trust, and Bodnant in 1949 the second, with a generous endowment by Henry. His son Charles Aberconway further increased this endowment over the years. The house was not included in the gift and the family continues to live in it today. *

The Mountains of Snowdonia

Bodnant the House

Attention to Detail


*From the Bodnant Garden guide book

14 Comments CherryPie on Jun 3rd 2010

14 Responses to “Bodnant – The Estate”

  1. Bernard says:

    Excellent Cherie: it looks as if you had a nice day for photography. :D
    (My blog flagged up something about the lily-ponds – and then disappeared :(

    • CherryPie says:

      It was a lovely day out for photography :-) But I did find it a challenge to dodge all the people.

      The lily-pond post is scheduled for in a few days time so it will be back ;-) I am not quite sure how, but when I changed the date to schedule the post it didn’t take and published immediately. I sorted out the error straight away but Google must have been too quick for me! Ooops!

  2. It’s a fantastic building

  3. jameshigham says:

    That’s one hell of a place to visit.

  4. Ginnie says:

    That is a beauty, Cherie. I would definitely want to see it if I ever have the chance!

  5. Trubes says:

    I think we will be going to Snowdonia in September, so we will try and visit Bodnant Gardens.
    As a point of interest, is it ‘wheelchair friendly’, as I shall probably, still be immobile.
    Very interesting article, Cherie, you should write a travel guide of interesting places to visit and stay!

    Di.xx

    • CherryPie says:

      Aww! thanks Di :-)

      There is wheelchair access but some of the slopes are quite steep so you would need someone fit to push the wheelchair.

      The full access information for the garden is here.

  6. Trubes says:

    Thanks for the info re Bodnant Gardens Cherie…most useful. We are going to Anglsey( I hope), in September, so, it’s only a short drive from there. I’d like to see the Laburnum Arch, although, it probably won’t be in bloom, in September.

    Di.xx

    • CherryPie says:

      I haven’t been to Anglsey for a number of years, but I have fond memories.

      The Laburnum Arch is only there in late spring/early summer. But the garden has seasonal features and is enjoyable all year round xx

  7. Marta says:

    Bodnant was one of favorite gardens on our first trip to the UK. You have captured the spirit of the it in this and several of your other posts.