Hengwrt, 17th-century mansion in Dolgellau, Wales.
Hengwrt is a 17th-century mansion built with stone facades and set within the Gwynedd countryside near the confluence of two rivers. The property includes multiple outbuildings that reflect the scale of an estate from this period.
Robert Vaughan built an extensive collection of Welsh manuscripts at Hengwrt during the 1600s, including important medieval works. The collection later became essential to understanding Welsh cultural heritage.
The house was home to manuscripts that shaped how Welsh history and literature were preserved and understood. Visitors can sense the weight of this intellectual legacy in the rooms where these precious documents once rested.
Access to the property requires advance planning since it remains privately owned and viewing opportunities are limited. Visitors should check conditions beforehand to confirm access and learn which routes approach the grounds.
The house once held a copy of the Canterbury Tales that may have been written under Chaucer's personal supervision before his death in 1400. This manuscript links the Welsh scholarly tradition directly to one of English literature's greatest works.
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