A capsule of stories from the past 400 years.

Our renovation plans

Plas Gunter Mansion is a capsule of stories from the past 400 years.

From peaceful domesticity to Catholic resistance, commercial use to historic revival, the building is now embarking on a new chapter in its history.

Four new spaces

A welcome space on the ground floor, leading to an exhibition on the first floor and access to the hidden attic chapel on the second floor.
A first-floor flexible office or meeting space for use by the Trust or available to hire.
An upgraded ground floor commercial unit for a local business.
An upgraded commercial unit for a local business on the ground and first floor.

The stories we will tell

1 About the house

Plas Gunter Mansion was built in about 1630 and the Gunter family lived here for around 150 years. The house is full of fascinating architectural details which give clues to life in 1600s Abergavenny and beyond.

A once hidden chapel used for celebrating Catholic Mass was uncovered on the top floor after being boarded up for 200 years.

2 The Gunter Family

Gunter was owned by a Catholic family at a time when Catholicism was illegal and dangerous to stick to the old faith. The house is linked to the life and death of two Welsh martyrs.

The Gunter family's story is one of mixed faiths, changing fortunes and a sweet twist which takes us to 1700s high society London.

3 Tolerance and reconciliation

Gunter Mansion and the lives of those who lived here offer a glimpse into 1600s Abergavenny. The town seems to have had a tolerant attitude towards people's chosen faiths which made it a place of sanctuary.

Interpretation

Below are some visual representations of how we might interpret an exhibition and the various rooms. They are not the finished article, rather ideas which bring the spaces to life.