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Tuesday 10:30am - 4pm Friday 10:30am - 4pm Saturday 10:30am - 4pm

Plas Gunter

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Plas Gunter is a 400-year-old Grade 2* listed building and garden being restored in Abergavenny, South Wales.

The historic building will be open to the public in 2028! Having been neglected for many years, this important building is now owned by the not-for profit Plas Gunter Mansion Trust. Volunteers, trustees, marketers, architects and other project developers are all supporting project progression. We have received funding from Abergavenny Town Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government, National Heritage Memorial Fund, Pilgrim Trust, Archdiocese of Cardiff, and Architectural Heritage Fund. For more information on the project visit: https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk
To donate visit: https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/donate

01/11/2026

Who discovered the secret Catholic activities in the chapel at the mansion? 💭

In the 1600s, the Gunter family remained committed to Catholicism at a time when it was illegal and dangerous in Britain.

At Plas Gunter, we think Thomas converted the attic into a hidden chapel. Here, Catholics would have gathered for Masses led by Jesuit priests, including David Lewis and Philip Evans.

The chapel attracted official attention. In 1678, John Arnold, a Justice of the Peace, reported Thomas Gunter’s activities to the government during the period known as the Popish Plot.

Read an extract from Arnold’s report in 1678 below.

“...that he had seen a Publick chapel near the house of Mr Thomas Gunter, a papist convict, in Abergavenny, adorned with the mark of the Jesuits on the outside, and is informed that Mass is said there by Captain Evans, a reported Jesuit, and by the aforesaid David Lewis in that very great numbers resort to the said chapel and very often at Church time, and he hath credibly heard that hundreds have gone out of the said chapel when not forty have gone out of the said church, that the said chapel is situate in a publick street of the said town, and doth front the street.”

Both Philip Evans and David Lewis were later arrested and executed.

You can read more about Plas Gunter's history on our website:
https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/history

25/10/2026

Plas Gunter building and garden is Grade 2* listed, but what does this mean?
The building and garden are listed because they're of national importance and special historic interest.

⭐️ The Grade 2* status means it’s of more than special interest.
The UK property specialists at Bidwells reported that Grade 2* listings accounted for only 6% of all listed buildings. With over 90% classed as just Grade 2.

Plas Gunter is very special and must be preserved!

Read more about Plas Gunter on our website:
https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk

23/10/2026

We featured in a Mastermind question for James Acaster on the topic of the history of ice cream!🍨

The question:
Gunter’s Tea Shop, a famous retailer of ice creams and sorbets, which opened in 1757, was located in which London square where it remained in operation until the 1930s?
The answer is Berkeley Square.

Here’s a little bit of information about the Tea Shop.

It was opened in 1757 on Berkeley Square in London. This prestigious location gave the Tea Shop high status straight away.

It was originally called The Pot and Pineapple, opened by members of the Gunter family who were previously living in a house in Abergavenny called Plas Gunter.

In 1799, it was renamed to Gunter’s Tea Shop.

It became famous for its ice cream and wedding cakes. Even making a cake for Queen Victoria!

19/10/2026

We’re in the middle of renovating this 17th-century Welsh building and garden in Abergavenny. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
In 2028, once it is restored, you can come visit the building to learn all about its historical significance.
Follow us to watch the restorations happen!

13/10/2026

Nearly 400 years ago this ornate plaster ceiling room would have been bustling with activity.

It would have been a parlour or a room to entertain guests of the house. When they looked up, they would have seen Tudor roses, pomegranates, bunches of grapes, and cherubs.

Guests in the know would have thought ‘Catholics live here'. Pomegranates are a symbol of the resurrection in the Catholic church. They were in the coat of arms of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife, a staunch Catholic. Others might just see an ornate and expensive ceiling denoting the status of the owner, Thomas Gunter, a member of the well-known and prosperous Gunter family of Abergavenny.

In the 1950s, which is when the image you see was taken, it looks more like a family room in this rented out property.

Imagine sitting in this room as a visitor and looking at the beautifully decorated ornate ceiling contrasting with the homely feel of the armchairs and all the family ornaments. What a contrast!

08/10/2026

The old-fashioned sweet shop which was in our building! 🍬
In the early 2010s there was an old-fashioned sweet shop called ‘The Pot and Pineapple’ in the extension to the right of the house.

It was named after The Pot & Pineapple in London's Berkeley Square which was owned by Ann Gunter and her husband, Italian pastry chef, Domenico Negri.

The London shop opened in 1757. It was later renamed Gunter's Tea Shop when Ann's nephew, James Gunter, took over the running of the business.

Both shops are no longer open, but we are keeping them alive by telling their stories.

Read the fictional reimagined story of the Tea Shop here:
https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/gunters-teashop-1780

04/10/2026

Where we are located 📍
Our building and garden are in the town centre, within a short distance from many important spots connected to us.

It is near to Abergavenny Museum & Castle where our fresco, ‘Adoration of the Magi’, is currently on display.

St Mary’s Priory Church is very close by too. James Gunter, who used to live at Gunter Mansion, purchased part of Priory land and used stone from the Priory to build a grand house called Priory House.

If you want to view the building or garden from a public street whilst we are closed, we are a short walk away from the bus station and Castle Street car park.

If you think of Market Hall as your starting location, head towards the bus station and look left, you will soon see Plas Gunter and the purple and white banner above the entrance.

To find the rear garden, use the lane beside the bus station car park which is next to the public toilets. After a few short steps, you’ll see the back of the house.

Don’t forget you can’t enter the building, but you can observe it from the front and back at the moment.

01/10/2026

Plas Gunter's garden is full of history, including a Roman road!

The Roman road was initially discovered from the 2015 trenching. It's presence adds a layer of historical intrigue to the mansion’s location, indicating its role in ancient travel and commerce.

There's been more discovered than just the Roman road however. Recently school pupils and members of the community were busy excavating the garden. They uncovered the previously discovered Roman road, an 18th-century inkpot, a piece of medieval glass, a piece of pottery from tableware of late 1600s, an intact animal rib bone toothbrush, and a 4000-year-old piece of flint.

We are hoping some of the finds will be displayed in our newly refurbished building.

Thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting us and the National Lottery players who have made it possible.🤞

23/09/2026

The 17th-century ornate ceiling has had a lot of attention recently!

Thank you to Clare Phillips, Conservation Architect from Purcell, Jonathan Pugh from The Pillar Box Interiors, and Anthony A Davies Ltd for their work on the renovation to date.

17/09/2026

The Headley Trust awarded us £40,000! 🎉
The architects, Purcell, have recently completed the detailed design stage which means the budget has to be revised. There will inevitably be an increase in costs due to inflation and unforeseen costs we couldn't have known about before the enabling works last spring.

Unexpected costs are why we continue to ask for support from our wonderful community through donations and memberships. Support from both grants and the community all matters!

If you’d like to support us, you can do so in a variety of ways.

You can become a member for just £15 a year: https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/member

Receive exclusive benefits by becoming a Founder for £10 per month:
https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/founder

Or support us with a one-time or monthly donation of your choosing: https://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/donate

Address

39a Cross Street
Abergavenny
NP75ER

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10:30am - 4pm
Friday	10:30am - 4pm
Saturday	10:30am - 4pm

Website

http://www.plasguntermansion.org.uk/

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