Hedd Wyn's iconic bardic chair returns home
An iconic bardic chair has returned home after a year-long careful restoration project by a specialist craftsman.
The chair at the National Eisteddfod in 1917 was won by poet Ellis Humphrey Evans of Trawsfynydd.
But six weeks before the ceremony in the main pavilion at the Eisteddfod in Birkenhead the poet, better known by his bardic name, Hedd Wyn, was killed in action in the Flanders trenches.
During emotional scenes the Archdruid, after announcing the winner’s name and what had happened to him, placed a black shroud over the chair and it has been known as the Black Chair ever since.
It was taken to Hedd Wyn’s family home at Yr Ysgwrn in Trawsfynydd near Blaenau Ffestiniog by train and horse drawn cart and has remained there ever since taking pride of place among other bardic chairs won by the poet during his short bardic career.
As part of a major project to convert outbuildings at Yr Ysgwrn to an exhibition and visitor centre the farmhouse has been completely refurbished opening up areas of the house that had been out of use for some years.
The work also included the restoration of the bardic chairs.
These were taken to an antique furniture restorer in Carmarthenshire. After the work was completed the items have been returned to Yr Ysgwrn. They were brought back to Yr Ysgwrn in two large vans and carefully unloaded and taken into the farmhouse.
Jess Enston of the Snowdonia National Park Authority said: “The bardic chairs, the grand piano and the dresser left here more than a year ago for restoration and they are now back and they look absolutely fantastic.”
Hedd Wyn’s nephew, Gerald Williams, said he was pleased to see them return.
“I did think we would never see the chairs back in their rightful place,” he said.
Since Hedd Wyn’s untimely death the door of Yr Ysgwrn has been kept open by his family allowing thousands of people to visit annually.
In 2012 this responsibility passed to Snowdonia National Park Authority and who are now working to keep the door open and conserving this important home.
Project manager Sian Griffiths said the work to return the items to Yr Ysgwrn were done as carefully as when they were taken away more than 18 months ago.
Yr Ysgwrn is expected to reopen to the public early next month.
