History

Bodiwan was the home of Michael Daniel Jones (1822-1898), Congregationalist minister, ardent Welsh nationalist and Principal of the Independent College at Bala.
The house was built by him following his marriage to a Miss Lloyd of Ruthin in 1859 and for a while housed the break-away faction of the Bala College. Jones was a considerable figure in C19 Wales and has been called the `father of the nationalist renaissance.' He followed his father, Michael Jones, as Principal of the Bala College, which his father had established, and additionally served as pastor of the Congregational chapel in the town.

Jones' nationalism and dissatisfaction with contemporary political situation led him to become one of the chief figures in attempting to establish a Welsh colony in Pategonia. As a consequence of the failure of this venture, Jones was bankrupted in 1865, and was forced to sell his home to the college in 1871. In 1879 an internal dispute within the College resulted in a split, part of it remaining at Bodiwan with Jones, whilst part of it moved to Plas-yn-Dre. In the following year Jones was dismissed as Principal and Thomas Lewis was appointed in his place. Jones, however, remained at Bodiwan until his death in 1898.

Exterior

Detatched mid-Victorian house of two storeys plus attic, in simple Tudor-Gothic style; of rough-dressed, snecked stone construction with slatestone dressings. Medium-steep slate roofs with tiled ridges and oversailing eaves and verges; plain chimneys with cornicing. The main front is near-symmetrical and of 3 bays, with gabled cross-wings flanking a recessed central entrance bay. This has a central entrance with panelled door plain flanking pilasters, with 6-pane lights beyond; rectangular overlight. The central bay has a continuous slated canopy porch with a gablet over the entrance; decorative cusping to bargeboards. Above the entrance is a wooden cross-window with marginally-glazed panes and slatestone lintel. The outer bays have decorative bargeboards and similar cross-windows with returned labels to the first floor and the ground-floor R. That to the ground floor L is in the form of a wooden canted bay with moulded cornice. Small square attic lights.

The road-facing elevation (E) has a 2-bay main section with similar gable to the left-hand bay; windows as before, with canted bay to the ground-floor L. Stepped-down and set back to the R is a one-and-a-half storey service block with gable over a first floor cross-window breaking the eaves. Rear gables with decorative bargeboards as before.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed, as a mid Victorian house, of special interest as the home of the Congregationalist minister, Welsh nationalist and Bala College Principal, Michael Daniel Jones (1822-1898).

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29502924

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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