Property details
Self catering accommodation in four comfortable cottages & one apartment which sleeps either small parties or group bookings up to 45 people (from May 2010).
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Belan House: Accommodates up to 9
Belan House has two bedrooms upstairs and two down.
On entering the blue and white painted hall, the door on the left leads to a large and very comfortable sitting room with an open fireplace. There is a baby grand piano in one corner. The two windows overlook the peaceful courtyard garden and the large arched doorway of the fort’s galleried music room.
The door to the right of entrance leads to a pleasing panelled dining room with its oval mahogany dining table and open fireplace. Beyond is a modern kitchen with wood fronted units.
There is a cloakroom with toilet and washbasin under the stairs in the hall.
At the end of the hall a door leads to the left into a long corridor. The bathroom, which has the usual facilities, and shower over the bath is to be found here. An unexpected right-angled bend leads to two bedrooms. The first is known as the ‘bunk room’ as it has two bunk beds and one single. The bunks are ideal for children. The second room is a double bedded room and is known to us as the ‘Royal Bedroom’ as members of the Royal Family have slept there in the past. There is a lovely view from here taking in the length of the courtyard.
Upstairs the balconied landing overlooks the hall and leads to two bedrooms which have a connecting door, the double-bedded room being accessed via the twin bedded room. The rooms have washbasins and are quaintly but comfortably furnished. The ceilings slope down and are very low on one side. There is a beautiful view from both these bedrooms of the sand dunes and sea and across the water to the Isle of Anglesey and the distant lighthouse on Llanddwyn island.
Over the Way: Accommodates 12
As you enter the house, the door on the right leads directly into the dining room. The coral coloured walls and old tiled floor immediately give a feeling of warmth and welcome. The large dining table seats twelve and the dresser and cupboards give ample space for storing crockery, cutlery and glassware. The top of these cupboards provide a convenient surface for serving food.
From the windows you will be able to look out onto the cobbles and greenery of the courtyard with cottages beyond.
The dining room and kitchen adjoin and widows are set into the wall between the two rooms.
Kitchen
The kitchen has an old world charm with its low ceiling, gingham curtains, and an original Belfast sink. The dark green Range Rover cooker is a joy to use and with its double oven is well able to cope with the cooking requirements for this large house.
Sitting Room
The solid oak floor of this sizable room is partly carpeted and the open fireplace is flanked on either side by illuminated display cabinets. There is an upright piano, comfortable seating and several coffee tables. An adjustable thermostat controls the temperature. The view of the courtyard is framed by window box planting
Downstairs bathroom and cloakroom.
The cloakroom, with toilet and separate washbasin is next door to the sitting room. An old pine door opens into a tiled bathroom with toilet, washbasin and a bath with over-head shower.
From the entrance the facing door leads into the back hall where the coin in the slot electricity metre is located.
A flight of stairs leads to a corridor with fabulous views of the Snowden range of mountains. Four bedrooms and a bathroom are accessed from this corridor.
Bedrooms
There are two four bedded dormitory bedrooms, one at either end of the corridor. The beds have cheerful multicoloured patchwork bedspreads. In each of these two rooms there is a wash basin & free standing wardrobe. The view is over to the dock area and beyond to the Foryd bay. In the distance, Snowdon itself is often clearly visible.
The two double bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, a louvered window and a small window onto the corridor.
Upstairs Bathroom
Situated to the right of the staircase, this compact bathroom, with its sloping ceiling and small window, has a distinctly ‘cottagy’ feel. Never-the-less it is entirely functional with a bath, over bath shower, toilet, washbasin and shaver socket.
Tower House: Accommodates 9
Seating in the dining room for up to 28.
The house is entered through a lobby with hanging space for outdoor clothes. From here a door leads into a small entrance hall where the deep terracotta coloured walls are lit by white lantern style wall lights.
The galley-type kitchen has the original slate floor and this is complemented by sparkling white units and bottle green tiles. On the opposite side of the hall there is a utilities room which houses a boiler and cleaning equipment. It is useful storage space.
The large high-ceilinged dining room has several ‘café’ type tables which can be arranged to suit various requirements. The tall Georgian windows look out onto a rather austere view of one of the fort’s stone walls.
The bathroom is on the ground floor has the usual facilities and a shower over the bath. Quite recently, a very unusual period fireplace was discovered. It had been concealed for many years behind plaster boarding.
Open fires tend to make parties feel comfortable and at home and the sitting room in Tower House has a splendid fireplace with a marble hearth. There is an upright piano which, if treated with respect, visitors are welcome to play.
On the ground floor, next to the dining room, there is a bedroom with a single bed. Under-the-bed drawers provide storage space and there are hooks for hanging. Though diminutive in size, the gold and turquoise décor is delightful. This room is often chosen by an older member of the party because of the ease of access to all the facilities.
A rather narrow and twisting staircase leads to an attractively decorated landing. Ahead lies a small double bed room with stripped pine floors, a wash-basin and old fashioned bedroom fireplace.
The other door on the landing opens into a large dormitory room with four single beds. It has an old fashioned charm but a modern feel, with blue and white designer guild wallpaper, striped bedding and soft dark blue bedspreads. There is a washbasin and fireplace. At the far end of this bedroom a doorway leads into a double-bedded room where golden colours give a feeling of warmth and welcome.
All three bedrooms have stripped pine floors, low ceilings and low, small-paned windows. These overlook the tower and a cobbled corner of the courtyard. The sundial on the tower reads ‘Sun time of Belan Fort slow of Greenwich 17 minutes.
Newborough House: Accommodates 6
This Georgian House has tremendous character.
The small sitting room maintains its original charm and the William Morris wallpaper adds to its appeal. In addition to the settee and arm chairs there are window seats, coffee tables and a handsome fireplace with decorative niches on either side.
The kitchen is colourful and has a high ceiling. Hand painted crockery decorates the old pine dresser and a duck egg blue oil fired Aga is available for use in addition to the electric cooker. This kitchen-dining room has a central farmhouse-style table and chairs beneath an old oil lamp which has been adapted for modern use.
The bathroom, again decorated in William Morris style, has a toilet and huge roll topped and claw footed bath. The shower above the bath dates from the 1920’s and still works effectively!
There is a second separate toilet in an adjacent room.
The entrance hall is painted a warm shade of yellow and the coat of arms of the Newborough family can be seen on the wall. Stairs lead to the balcony above.
To the left of the upstairs landing are two twin-bedded rooms with a connecting door. The first of these rooms has a wash-basin. The ceilings of both rooms slope down and are very low on one side. From both rooms can be seen a beautiful view of sand dunes and sea and over to the Isle of Anglesey and the distant lighthouse on Llanddwyn island.
On the opposite side of the landing there is an attractive double bedroom which has a wash-basin and old fashioned bedroom fireplace. This is a restful room, overlooking the peaceful courtyard garden and with a gentle décor of cream wallpaper and green willow pattern soft furnishings.
By the Way
Ideal accommodation for two but three can be housed.
Suitable for wheel-chair users
This cottage is on one level and there is access to a special toilet a few yards away in the adjacent building. For disabled visitors special parking arrangements can be made close to the cottage.
Tucked away in a cobble-stoned corner of the courtyard, this, the smallest cottage in the fort, is an ideal retreat. The door opens directly into a comfortable and characterful bed-sitting room with an upright piano in one corner. Though centrally heated, a flame-effect fire adds an extra touch of cosiness for winter days.
A flight of open plan stairs leads to a space suitable only for a child or small person to sleep. Downstairs there are twin beds; these are next to a small bathroom which has the usual facilities and a shower over the bath.
At the opposite end of the cottage a short passageway leads to an attractive dining-kitchen with a window seat beneath an arched window. Though the view is of the courtyard, the eye is led to the focal point of the North Tower at the far end of the oval lawn.
A Brief History Of the Fort and Dock
At the time of the Napoleonic wars in the late 18th Century, life was turbulent and in Wales there was the threat of coastal invasion by the French. This was a time of hostility between America and the U.K. It is strange for us today to imagine unfriendly American ships in our waters but the reality of the threat became obvious when privateers operating at sea captured several of our ships, notably two post office ships which operated between Holyhead and Dublin.
Thomas Wynn, who at the time was Constable of Caernarfon, was aware of the threat and decided to take the initiative and he made a bold military decision to build a fort on the tip of the Dinlle Peninsula. He realized the vulnerability and strategic importance of this point as it overlooks the narrow entrance to the Menai Strait which runs between the mainland and the Isle of Anglesey. It is the access point to the North Wales coast and the City of Liverpool which even then was a port of international importance. This fort, now known as Belan Fort, is notable for being the only purpose built fortress of the American Revolution on this side of the Atlantic ocean.
Initially the fort was garrisoned by Wynn’s own troops and his actions and loyalty were rewarded with a peerage. The fort became part of the chain of defenses against the threat of French invasion.
A century and a half later, during the Second World War Belan was occupied by all three services. The Royal Air Force dominated the scene as it took over what is now called Caernarfon Airport just two miles to the south.
Recent History
The Fort was purchased in 1992 specifically to carry out marine biological research as worries about the depletion of marine fish stocks had led to the wish to explore and develop natural ways of bringing on small fish to be returned to their natural habitat.
In 1996 the Fort was reclassified as a Grade 1 listed building. In common with many historical buildings the work of repair and renovation proves costly and ongoing and the Fort and the Dock are no exception. To help towards covering the costs, initially of the marine biologists, and later of the repair work, the houses have been gradually improved and restored to provide comfortable accommodation for visitors. Over the years the Fort has become a popular holiday venue and because of its unusual location and in-house facilities it has become a Mecca for several groups with shared interests.
Early History of the peninsular
In 1539 Henry V111 Thomas Cromwell for a report on how best to defend North Wales against a Spanish invasion. The fortification of this headland was recommended.
It is clear that the strategic importance of the Dinlle peninsula as a whole was recognized in very early times. In the iron age Celtic peoples built a fortification at the southern end of the peninsula next to what is now Dinas Dinlle. It was occupied for more than three centuries.
Although now partly eroded by the sea which has led to the creation of a 100 ft-high cliff, this 31/2 acre fort still preserves its best features including a 20 ft-high rampart.
It is also interesting to note that in the 9th and 10th Century the Foryd Bay, which separates the fort from Caernarfon, was used by the Vikings as a shelter.
The Dock was a later addition being built between 1824 and 1826 though it had been designed as part of the original fortifications. It owes its construction to the 2nd Baron Newborough who, soon after its completion, purchased three yachts, one of which he named after his mother Maria Stalla. This was the start of the family’s maritime tradition. The Baron died in 1832 at the age of 30 and was succeeded by his brother Spencer.
The 3rd Baron was a patron of the first Caernarfon sailing regatta which took place in 1845 and from which was born the Royal Welsh Yacht Club. Formed in 1875 it is now housed within the town walls of Caernarfon.
To this day the Fort and Dock remain largely as they were when originally constructed.
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Property details Fort Belan
