Local place names can be traced back many years.  Let us start with Waenfawr.  It was probably established in Roman times, perhaps as an outpost on an approach to Segontium.  Segontium being the great Roman fortress now known as Caernarfon.  Waenfawr was known in the Middle Ages as Wein Mawr, and that is about all we can be certain of, except that it was also closely connected with three men of interets to us, Saint Garmon, John Rowlands and John Parry.

The local district, as you will now have gathered, is named after the first of these men i.e. Saint Garmon.  He lived in what is now Waenfawr, and in, perhaps, 400 A.D., he established a place of worship and started his own Christian meetings.  This place of worship, probably a slate hut, was just down the valley from Plas.  Garmon's followers, and later the district, became known as "Betws Garmon" i.e. "Church of Garmon".  The present church built in 1842 is on the site of Garmons original hut.  In it is a font dated 1614, with the inscription "Capel, Saint Garmon, Betws" i.e. "Chapel of the Church of Saint Garmon".  We thus have the name of the district.  Now to Plas-y-Nant itself.

John Rowlands was closely connected with the Caernarvon district for many years.  He was a local magistrate and merchant, and it was he who first acquired the land on which Plas stands, and, in 1671 built a residence on the site of the present house.  This was the home of the Rowlands family for a number of years.  John Rowlands died in 1703.  The next date I could find is 1808.  The old house now been sold to a Sir Robert Williams JP, another local magistrate, and in this year he extended the house.

We now come to the Rev. John Parry MA.  He lived in Waenfawr as a boy, and later became vicar o ST. Lukes, Wolverhampton, where he married the daughter of a Birmingham factory owner.  On retiring he returned to the Waenfawr district.  The old house was for sale, so John and his wife, very wealthy after the death of her father, purchased it.  The ols house was pulled down, and in 1880, "Plas-yNant" was built.  All the grounds as we know them today were laid out, stables (Now Everest) were erected, and on an older foundation John Parry built his private chapel.  Better known nowadays as the "Rec", it was a place of worship every morning for the Parry family and their staff.  The "Rec" is therefore, Holy ground, with our services held there throughout the summer maintining it so.  The people now dress differently, but are, I like to think, just as reverent.  Perhaps next time you attend a service in it you can spare a thought for old John and his wife Elizabeth, without whom you would not be there.

John PArry died in 1908, he is burie in Betws Garmon churchyard, and his wife joined him in 1918.  On her death the eldest son sold Plas to a Mr. Stopford of Birmingham, and it was purchased from him by C.E. Holiday Homes Ltd, in 1924.

A number of additions and alterations have taken place since then of course, notably the "New" wing and the tennis courts.

This history can be summarised :-

1671 – Site purchased and old house built by John Rowlands
1808 – Old house extended by Sir Robert Williams
1880 – Purchased by John Parry, old house demolished and Plas-y-Nant, Everest and Rec Built.
1918 - Purchased by Mr. Stopford
1924 - Purchased by C. E. Holiday Homes Ltd.
Pre-War – New Wing and Tennis Court built
Post-War – Everest altered from “Commons” and “Lords” into “Lords”, “Middle” and “Lower” temples. Central heating in Rec and Everest.

NB. - Just when the dog was turned out of it's kennel and the bunks put in for the leaders is not known

It is of interest to mention that the seat on the Bridle Path was erected by John Parry.  The tablet forming the back of the recess was found during the demolition of the old house.  It reads :- "In this tranquil retreat lived John Rowlands, in sweet oblivion and blissful barm.  He obtained quiet from the cares of life, as also did his wife Francis.  In this year 1671 he erected this house and place of rest".

Some more interest :-  The dogs grave.  The story goes that the dog Zulu was destroyed during the first Great War, 1914-1918.  His owner, presumably Mrs. Parry, decided that his existence could not be justified due to the extreme food shortage.  He was therefore destroyed and there was one less mouth to feed.

Yet more :-  The name Crib-y-Gwynt (Windy Ridge) is old, probably older than Plas itself.  Who invented the names "Rapture Heights" and "Sunset Corner" I have not been able to discover.

May - 1952.

Not mentioned before, is that the 1880 house originally comprised what is now the staff dining room, office, kitchen, pantry and part of the lounge on the ground floor.  What is now the dining room and drawing room were added later - perhaps around 1900.

C.E. Holiday Homes extended the lounge to include what was the sun lounge in about 1970.

SJP. 1985