Cobden's Hotel is a 19th-century hotel in

Capel Curig Capel Curig (; meaning " Curig's Chapel") is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226, reducing slightly to 206 ...

Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...

, Wales. It became famous after it was bought by the celebrated cricketer

Frank Cobden Frank Carroll Cobden (14 October 1849 – 7 December 1932) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University Cricket Club, Cambridge University and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). In the University Match (cricket), the University M ...

and is reputedly haunted.

Location

The hotel is on the A5, a major road through North Wales, to the east of the village centre and the junction with the A4086 to

Llanberis (; ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking ...

. It is next to the banks of the

River Llugwy River Llugwy (Welsh: ''Afon Llugwy'') is a tributary of the River Conwy, and has its source at Ffynnon Llugwy, a lake in the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia in north-west Wales. Location and catchment area The average annual rai ...

, and in the

Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the na ...

National Park. The grounds of the hotel extends out to the river. It is also a popular stopping point for canoeing along the river.

History

The hotel was originally known as Tan-y-Bwlch ("under the pass"). It was bought by the

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

and

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

cricketer

in 1890. The hotel became subsequently well-known because of Cobden's celebrity status. He sold the hotel in 1907 and retired; dying in Capel Curig in 1932 aged 83. Cobden's subsequently became popular as a stopping point for walkers around

. Frank Cobden's daughter, Evelyn, is reported to haunt the property. Several guested have claimed to have seen ghosts, particularly in one room with an outside balcony. A subsequent owner has suggested Evelyn is a "benign presence" in the property. The business closed in 2016. The following year, it was put on the market with a guide price of £450,000. It has since re-opened.

Architecture

The hotel is a two storey building with an additional attic, and features arch-headed windows. It includes a Mountain Bar at the rear of the property, which is built around a fresh water stream running through a rock.

References

{{coord, 53.10074, -3.89645, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Hotels in Conwy County Borough Hotels in Snowdonia Reportedly haunted locations in Wales