Chez nous
Images of Odstone House, Rhos on Sea, North Wales. Sadness over its fate.
Manchester architect Henry Goldsmith designed and built Odstone in 1912. It is beautifully designed in an old colonial style. Unfortunately it was bought by developers who razed its magical garden to the ground. At one time it was surrounded by lush vegetation hiding secret winding pathways. Now only the house is left. It has a veranda which wraps around the four sides of the house. The driveway is part of an old pier. Legend says that the Prince Madoc sailed from here in 1170 and landed in Mobile, Alabama, way before Columbus. A bronze plaque placed in the rockery commemorates this voyage. A petition and campaign to save the house has seen a temporary reprieve from the developers' wish to demolish it, but for how long? It has been abandoned with the gates chained up. If it falls into decay as seems likely, it is only a matter of time before it is knocked down to make way for yet more uninspiring apartments which are ruining our beautiful sea front. I would love to see this house saved. It's a throwback to a time that no longer exists but its beauty alone deserves to see it saved.
Metal silhouettes on the sea front at Colwyn Bay
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