History Glasfryn farm history - as recounted by Mrs. Falck.

"My husband bought the above house, buildings and 26 acres of land in 1947 for £7500 from a brother and sister who had been left a larger farm near Flint. Most of the land was let at the time and we had to go before a tribunal to gain possession as we wanted to start farming.

The house was built around 1900 - possibly a bit earlier. Everything was of very good quality - best Ruabon brick with lovely black and white tiles in the hall, heavy mahogany doors to all downstairs rooms, coal fires in all rooms and elaborate overmantles in the front rooms. Upstairs there were 4 bedrooms, a box room and bathroom. The back of the house had an enclosed yard with a wash-house, coal house and outside toilet. Further along there was a fine dairy with an enormous marble slab the whole length of the building. Next there was a garage and then a stable with rooms above at right angles, a shippon for 10 or 12 beasts - I can’t remember - and finally a calf house and hen house.

There was a small walled garden and an adjoining orchard full of plum trees.

We milked cows, kept a few sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, hens. There was not enough land so we bought Waen Farm, Gwenaffield with 40 acres and ran the two. After 3 or 4 years we decided to move to Waen Farm and sell Glasfryn. There was a terrible slump at the time- no money about at all and it only fetched £8000. The new owner promptly sold off the house and kept the land for many years. After a year or two the Council bought the house and made it into 2 flats for caretakers of the council offices opposite. Later still it became flatlets or rather bedsits. How sad for such a lovely house. It is wonderful to see it re-furbished.

We were told it was built by a Cheshire farmer who wanted a small farm to retire to - a sort of model farm. I never found out if this was true.

Raikes lane in the 1940’s and 50’s was a tree lined, fairly narrow road and the big house opposite, Llewenegrin Hall (now hidden by all the modern county offices), was occupied by Sir Victor Raikes, M.P. for Wavertree at the time and until his last seat after Suez. The road is named after his grandfather Judge Raikes."

Photos courtesy of Mrs. Falck