Lake Hotel

The Lake Hotel website says that the hotel began life in about 1840. On the Ordnance Survey Old Series map of the area (dated 1831 – 1834) there is a  small cluster of buildings named Coed-lladdau.  The Tithe Commutation Act 1836 required a detailed survey of land and a listing of all landowners and occupiers. 

The maps for our area are dated between 1843 and 1844. Here the properties of Tynycoed and Coedladdau are listed together, owned by Anne Price and occupied by Thomas Jones. The 1851 census shows Coedladdau again, the 3 properties this time recorded as Coedlathau Cottages. The 1861 census shows the same. The map of registration districts drawn up to accompany the 1871 census shows a well very close to the little cluster of houses called Coed Lladdau. 

The earliest reference to Epynt House is in 1882 and simply refers to William Smith, Epynt House. Powys Archives hold a document dated 1883 (Indenture 1) which sets out the terms of a 14-year lease granted to William Smith by Squire Bligh which appears to be a lease for the Well of barium waters.  The lessors “in consideration of the expense incurred by the lessee in erecting the new Wellhouse Refreshment Room and dwelling house do demise and lease unto the said lessee that parcel of pleasure ground lately forming part of Cwmdylan Farm situate in the hamlet of Gwarafog together with the new Well House Refreshment Room, dwelling house and premises recently erected thereon … from 25th December 1883 … paying the yearly rent of £30 payable by equal half-yearly payments”.
 
1883 marked the opening of new spa.
 
1884 Various publications mention the barium waters, William Smith, Epynt House, but at this stage no accommodation is offered – visitors are pointed in the direction of reasonably-priced accommodation at the Cammarch Hotel or various local lodging houses.

1884 William Smith applied to the Breconshire Licensing Committee for a liquor licence From then on there are various ads in the papers for the Epynt House Hotel.

1886-8 There are reports of various events in the grounds of the Epynt House Hotel

1887 Advertisement in the Western Mail for Epynt House Hotel

1892 October An application to Breconshire Licensing Committee  “proposed new hotel at Llangammarch” was granted. This  100 bed hotel, would have  £20,000 spent on it and the site was on the opposite side of the river Irfon to that of the Pump House/Epynt House Hotel”. 

1892-3 Annual fete and Gala in grounds of hotel – sheepdog trials, pony races, athletics, “grand illumination” with fireworks

1893 May Announcement of sale of highly important and exceedingly valuable freehold estate The Pump House and Lake Hotel, together with the lake, land and associated fishing and sporting rights, plus Tyncoed Farm, Llwyn Einon and a total of 381 acres.

1893 June Result of sale – Llwyn Einon sold for £2,000;  Pump House and Hotel withdrawn to be sold by private treaty

1894 February – notice of sale of Llangammarch Pump House and Lake Hotel – but the company then decided to keep the hotel on and enlarge and improve it.

1894 August – the Western Mail announces the opening of the new improved Pump House, Lake Hotel and Baths, and other advertisements announce the first of a series of fetes to be held in the grounds.

1897 December Letter to The South Wales Daily News referring to the curative properties of the waters at the Pump House and Lake Hotel

By 1900, The hotel had been bought by the Griffiths family of London. 
Precis of Lynn Phennah’s presentation to the History Society