Y Plas: The Story of the Welsh Country House, 2013

The autumn of 2013 saw 18 adventurous people step back in time for S4C’s living history series, Y Plas. A book to commemorate the series was developed between Mark Baker and Dewi Gregory. Y Plas: The Story Of The Welsh Country House, co-written by Mark Baker, Dewi Gregory and Siân Price tells the story of the Country House in 1910, its central place in Welsh history and the story of the eighteen brave participants.

Y Plas (Welsh for Welsh Country House) was one of S4C’s most watched factual series in 2013. Set in the National Trust’s beautiful estate at Llanerchaeron, Y Plas sat somewhere between Big Brother and Downton Abbey; reality TV Edwardian style. The task facing the eighteen intrepid volunteers was to learn to live the roles of upstairs and downstairs life in a Welsh Country House, circa 1910.

Picture led and bilingual, Y Plas: The Story Of The Welsh Country House delves into the history of the Great Houses of Wales: the people who lived in them and those who worked in the houses and on the estates. EdwardianWalesis explored – from social life, school, politics and religion to industrialisation, culture an d national events.

Y Plas: The Story Of The Welsh Country House also examines the history of the very house that inspired – and is the setting for – the television series, the National Trust’s Llanerchaeron.

Finally the book looks into the demise and recovery of the Welsh Country House and its legacy. Dotted throughout the book are the experiences of the people who took part in the television series, Y Plas: thoughts on their roles, the ups and the downs of life upstairs and downstairs in an Edwardian Country House. Sumptuous archive and contemporary photographs sit alongside stunning images from the S4C series.

Y Plas: The Story Of The Welsh Country House shines a light into a largely unknown aspect ofWalesand gives the people of these grand houses and estates their rightful place in Welsh history.

Llion Iwan, Commissioner for S4C said: “This book will add to our knowledge of the period and the characters”.

You can buy the book today for £20.00 from the Publishers and in all good bookshops.

Book Details:

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Truth Department; 1st edition (Oct. 2013)
ISBN-10: 0992695007
ISBN-13: 978-0992695002

Contents:
Foreword by Lord Mostyn
Living History by Paul Islwyn Thomas, Executive Producer
The Man from the Trust, by Paul Boland, NT Llanerchaeron
The Country House in Wales
Upstairs Downstairs
Edwardian Wales
Llanerchaeron
Back From The Brink
Saving Old Welsh Country Houses by Thomas Lloyd
Acknowledgements & Credits

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