Vaynol

Vaynol /ˈveɪnɒl/ or Y Faenol (Welsh [ə ˈveɨnɔl]) is a country estate dating from the Tudor period near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, North Wales (grid reference SH536695).

It has 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of park, farmland, and gardens, with more than thirty listed buildings, surrounded by a wall which is 7 miles (11 km) long.

[6] Assheton Smith was later MP for Caernarvonshire and then Andover,[7] and his son, also Thomas (1776–1858) sat for the same constituencies but was known as a cricketer, Master of Foxhounds and owner of steam yachts.

Even after farms were let on long leases to encourage good tenant behaviour, slate remained the family's main economic interest.

In 1847, it passed to Mary Astley, niece of Thomas Assheton Smith of Vaynol, who married Robert George Duff, a distant cousin of the Earls of Fife.

[14] To celebrate the 1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary and to improve Caernarfon, the town walls and some adjoining property, which belonged to the estate, was handed over to the Ministry of Works.

[15] In 1967 21,000 acres, including the north face of Snowdon, was sold to two property companies, jointly, for a reputed £1½ million.

Vaynol, its home farm and some adjacent property were retained by the estate trustees and Sir Michael Duff.