I did not want to publish this but with repeated allegations online from representatives of the trust. I wanted to tell my story. and to show some of the nastiness that comes your way when you challenge the Trust. It is not just you they come after, they come after the entire family. My brothers who have nothing to do with this have been removed from “Abergele Noticeboard” just one of the many examples of the vendetta against me. I intend to release all communications with the trust including details about their repeated breaches of the GDPR laws. Be aware that some of my correspondence was sent to ATC as well as the trust. I have nothing to hide.
I was walking the dog one Saturday evening on my usual route, up past the golf course, with the intention of approaching the front of the Castle, I was stopped from doing so, A person wearing a hi-vis coat was checking the bicycle lock on the pedestrian gate, I asked why was the gate locked shut, he explained that covid was the reason. I explained that the lockdown was now over and that I wasn’t content with his explanation and that I would be making enquiries with a local councillor.
I made some enquiries online, through various groups on Facebook, particularly the Gwrych Castle Facebook page. I was immediately blocked, for asking the following questions:-
Why is access to the woodlands being blocked now restrictions have been lifted?
When will the access to the woodlands be restored?
Does this seem like a reasonable set of questions?
I decided to attend the site in working hours (now that the first lockdown had been lifted) the intention to access Rhyd y Foel from Abergele. I am a passionate hill walker and enjoy the countryside regularly, sometimes using a push bike. I rode up the drive and continued towards the visitor centre (a hut), my intention to ride straight past to access the woodland as I usually would and have done so many times before. The young lady attending the hut called as I was passing, so being polite I stopped to discuss my intended route. I was told that the route was no longer accessible for reasons such as track and trace the young lady trying to explain the position of the trustees however to me it just didn’t make any sense. A male attendant also tried to explain the position of the trustees, however again he was talking about track and trace and a one-way system whereby the Woodlands were not accessible, I also enquired as to when they would be opened up again; he was unable to give me an answer. I asked him to call Mark Baker to ascertain answers regarding the access. The call was carried out on speakerphone, Mark explained the same and said that when Covid was over they would open the route for paying visitors, I said that’s a lame excuse for blocking access and Mark started shouting over the phone, rather erratically, call the police, call the police.
I stated that nobody had asked me to leave which was true. I made the required contactless payment with the lady attendant who directed me to the one way system, I continued with my route and returned later in the day.
I made a decision to write to the trust regarding my experience and eventually received a reply
The first correspondance
The Trust’s Reply Below
Mr O’Hanlon
I am writing on behalf of Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust in answer to your recent correspondence and repeated challenges of our staff over the weekend about access to the site beyond the assigned paid visitor route.
To clarify, the Gwrych Castle is a pay for entry tourist attraction, similar to National Trust and Cadw sites that operate. The Gwrych Castle Estate is 250 acres in size, this includes the Blackthorn Covet and Great woods either side of the castle buildings and to its rear. The entire site is private property, there are no public footpaths through the entire 250 acres, you can view this information for yourself on the Conwy Council website on the pages pertinent to ownership and public footpaths. In addition to this the woodland areas mentioned are leased to Natural Resources Wales for extraction only, not leisure. This can also be confirmed by Natural Resources Wales.
As private property we reserve the right to give permissive access to areas other than the paid visitor route and have continued to do so since purchasing the estate. Due to changes in circumstance, there is at present there are NO permissive rights given or will be given for the foreseeable future. This being for reasons of protection of the heritage, wider site, staff, volunteers and additionally now with the COVID-19/Track and Trace.
We also reserve the right to refuse entry to members of the public who abuse, threaten or mistreat our staff, volunteers or others in any way deemed unacceptable. This duty to the health, safety and welfare of our staff, volunteers and visitors being a duty owed in common with any other tourist attraction, such as the National Trust or any other workplace. Due to your recent, repeated verbal abuse of multiple site staff over the weekend the charity is formally banning you from the entire estate for a minimum period of 12 months, this being for the security and protection of our staff, volunteers, paying visitors and the heritage we are trying to preserve.
The sites access points and boundaries have CCTV in situ and staff wear bodycams (as recommended by North Wales Police), should you try to enter the site during this period the footage will be forwarded to North Wales Police and or our legal team for appropriate action.
Regards
Nicola
Resilient Heritage Project Manager
Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust
buildings@gwrychcastle.co.uk
Please note that I work part-time at and shall respond to your email when I am next in the office.
Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust is a registered charity and limited company registered in Wales. Registered Charity No: 1092035 Company Registration No: 4331307. Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, Gwrych Castle, Llanddulas Road, Abergele, LL22 8ET
I have reproduced the letter in full but highlighted and emboldened the text I wish to discuss
This letter/email was received on behalf of the trust. this is significant as I make a point here that, despite the repeated malicious statements that Bev Baker and others have been making about me being asked not to attend by a female member of staff, and the deliberately malicious insinuations that is the intent of such messaging. This reply was from the Gwrych Castle trust and not an individual. I invite those that have commented as such to re-examine your words, and look at the definition of malicious falsehood in law, where the burden of proof would be on the defendant to prove.
The clarity is required because up until that moment, few of the residents of Abergele were aware that the pedestrian access had been withdrawn.
This building and property is private property, but not in the traditional sense of it belonging to a private individual; the castle and the grounds was purchased by Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, on behalf of the nation. Nobody ever thought that the trust would actively shut down pathways and countryside people have used for a 100 years or more. CADW and National Trust are nothing like what you do, maybe in years to come, when you stop alienating local people.
This statement is quite telling, this is what I and others oppose. the shutting down of the woodlands. Must we lose half the woodlands in Abergele, to protect who? 99% of people similar to me who are upset about this will follow your rules, but if you don’t listen to their voices then you are not fulfilling your remit. The 1% who you need protection from will just do what they want anyway.
I 100% agree with this right to refuse access. I would stand by Gwrych Trust where staff suffered abuse, although, the catch all of “in any way deemed unacceptable” could be absolutely anything.
Unfortunately this policy is being abused and the repeated verbal abuse allegation is simply not true in the slightest, in fact I was completely astonished by this statement. It was consistent with my experiences so far of the trust. Have I ever threatened, abused or mistreated staff. DEFINATELY NOT. What the trust are saying here is that they are banning me for , the security and protection of their staff, volunteers, paying visitors and the heritage they are trying to preserve. read that back again. Can you imagine being accused of this?! These are lies and anyone who says otherwise are liars.
Thankfully I would have an opportunity to put in a subject access request in accordance with GDPR (Date Protection) rules for all of the footage that the trust purports to have from their CCTV and bodycams. I could clear my name and they would have to retract these statements. Unfortunately not, I wasn’t able to clear my name because the Trust could not provide any of this footage CCTV or bodycams that they purported to have, despite being legally obliged to provide this information. Remember I immediately asked for this evidence so sure I was that there had been some mistake. Incidentally this was the exact time the trust registered with the information commissioners office (ICO)
Well, that is part one finished, next time I will detail an impromptu call from a local police officer, further breaches of GDPR carried out by the trust regarding my person. I’ll also discuss the illegal signage situation; not the recent posters in the woods by the way.
