The Children of Craig-y-Nos

Exhibition

7th to 29th September 2007

Click on above picture to enter "The Children of Craig-y-Nos" website

Patti Hospital Patients Reunion

Sunday 9th September 2007

A SUNDAY CARVERY LUNCH (£11.95 per head) will be held at Craig-y-Nos Castle to commemorate the use of the castle as a TB hospital during the 1940s and 50s. This will include a re-union of former patients and will coincide with the opening of an exhibition of photographs and stories of the former hospital at Ystradgynlais Welfare Hall, which will run from September 7th to September 29th 2007.  

To Book Telephone: 01693 731167

The Faces From A Past That Time Forgot About

Helen Keates uncovers the dramatic changes that have taken place at Craig-y-Nos from the manor house of a famous 19th century opera singer, to a secluded children's hospital, and now to the country hotel that it is today.

Today Craig-y-Nos is a completely different place from what it was more than 50 years ago. Now it is a luxury country hotel which caters for couples, families and weddings.

But the historic building has changed dramatically over the years, from the manor house of a famouse 19th century opera singer to a classy country hotel.

But between 1922 and 1959, the castle was used as a hospital for children with Tuberculosis.

Children with the life-threatening illness often spent a year or more at the sanatorium.

The hospital is steeped in history. Adelina Patti made the estate her home after her retirement. The Spanish opera star was one of the most highly regarded singers in the 19th century. The diva funded the castle and lived there until she died in 1919.

In the time that followed, the castle was turned into a much-needed regional centre for children and young adults suffering from tuberculosis.

Today it is a hotel specialising in weddings and paranormal events, with the derelict children's wards used as a base for ghostly investigations.

Ann Shaw, a former patient in the hospital has put together a photo exhibition called The Children of Craig-y-Nos.  She also has written a book with historian Carole Reeves.

Ann now lives in Scotland but was originally from Crickhowell in Powys.  She spent four years at The Adelina Patti Hospital from 1950 until 1954.

On a visit to Craig-y-Nos Country Park last year, she was told no records exists about the time children spent at the sanatorium at that time.

After discovering all the patients' records had been destroyed, she set about recovering as much information about the centre as possible.

She applied to history groups and placed advertisements in the Evening Post and other papers with the hope of drawing together the details she needed.

She said "Little did I know I was about to tap into the collective memory of a whole community of people with stories waiting to be told."

"Many had never spoken of their experiences before. Some were painful, some were happy, but all with their own unique tales of their times isolated from their families and the rest of the world in this secluded sanatorium on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Emails arrived from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK, along with a flood of letters and phone calls."

"I have been deluged with photographs, approaching 600 tiny scraps of history."

The photos in the collection were taken between 50 and 85 years ago. They give an unique insight into life inside a tuberculosis sanatorium.

An article posted on the BBC website, in which Ann described her time in the hospital as difficult, has caused some controversy.

It has sparked a debate about the children's treatment at the centre. Some have said that the conditions were less than conducive to happy life, claiming that they lost their childhoods to the sanatorium and that photos were only taken during happy occasions. Others say that the hospital was simply not that bad.

She said "I was very surprised at the start, but it seems like everybody is coming around to the subject."

"Many people were in the hospital for a year, but I was there for four years from the age of nine. After such a long time, my experiences were less happy than others." One of the ways used to treat patients was the plaster bed. It was thought that this would help children  susceptible to back problems. A plaster case was made for the top of a child's body, they would lay down in the case to limit movement and keep the back still.

Ann added: "It was called a hospital but in reality it had all the hallmarks of a prison for sick children.  Isolated from the rest of Wales it had all the appearances of an impenetrable fortress. Once inside, children were not allowed out. The average length of stay was around two to three years. On arrival you were stripped of all possessions, clothes, and toys apart from the absolute minimum."

"Visitors were allowed to come on one weekend between 2pm and 4pm once a month. All parcels were opened and searched for food. All parents' bags' were searched before being allowed into the building."

Editorial supplied by The Evening Post