Visiting the house at Plas Newydd

The house at Plas Newydd, Anglesey, on the banks of the Menai Strait with autumn trees in the foreground — Plas Newydd in autumn | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

With views across the Menai Strait to the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia), it’s easy to see why a house has stood in this spot since the early 16th century. Today, you can discover art, military history and the interior design that made Plas Newydd what you see today. Discover Whistler’s mural in the Dining Room, or the first articulated wooden leg, designed for the 1st Marquess of Anglesey in the Military Museum.

From Tudor residence to family home

The house itself has changed over the years, from the original Tudor House to changes made by the fashionable architect James Wyatt in 1793-9 and the modernisation during the 1930s when the family of the 6th Marquess made Plas Newydd their main residence.

The Gothick Hall

This room was built along with the Music Room in 1797. It is now the main entrance to the house, although there has been several different entrances over the years. The design was inspired by medieval architecture but with softer archways and more rounded decoration. In 1913 both rooms were coated in the textured paint that create the stone effect.

The 7th Marquess’s study

A much-loved and lived-in area of the house, the study remains just as the 7th Marquess left it following his death in 2013. When he was working in here, the room was filled with classical music which would drift out into the rooms next door, filling the house with sound.

Inside the 7th Marquess' Study, with a wall of book shelves and many tables and surfaces covered with books and papers, at Plas Newydd House and Gardens, Anglesey — The 7th Marquess' Study at Plas Newydd House | © National Trust Images/Paul Highnam

The Music Room

This room stands on the site of the ‘Great Hall’ which was part of the original building here in around 1470. In the late 1790s it was altered, doubling in height with a vaulted plaster ceiling. The room has been used as a dining hall, sitting room and for large scale entertaining ever since. With a sprung wooden floor, it is perfect for music and dancing.

The Saloon

This room has been one of the main sitting rooms of the house since it was built in 1791. It is one of the best places to enjoy the surrounding landscape from inside. The most recent decoration dates to the 1930s. The furniture in front of the fireplace shows how the family used this space. Why not take a seat in the window and sketch your surroundings.

A volunteer talks to two visitors, indicating something on the wall — Volunteer speaking with visitors at Plas Newydd, Anglesey, Wales | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

The Whistler Dining Room

his room was made into a Dining Room in the 1930s. Before this, three servants’ rooms were located here. To fill the newly created space, the artist Rex Whistler was employed to paint the 58 ft fantasy landscape. The mural was to be a conversation piece, containing references relevant to the family and the artist himself.

Military Museum

Occupying several of the former domestic offices, the Military Museum is an exhibition of items and pictures of the 1st Marquess and his part in the Battle of Waterloo. This exhibition was curated by the late 7th Marquess. It’s here that you are able to see the famous Anglesey Leg.