In the rugged, mist-shrouded landscapes of North Wales, there stands a structure that has lived many lives. Built in the 1920s as a grand manor house for the elite, it was later converted into a sophisticated hotel in the 1940s, serving travelers seeking the solace of the Welsh hills. Finally, in the early 1980s, it found its last purpose: a five-star care home for the elderly.
But on January 18, 2018, the music stopped. At 12:30 AM, while the residents slept, an electrical fire ignited within the walls. For twelve grueling hours, firefighters battled a blaze that threatened to turn the historic manor into a funeral pyre. Miraculously, all seven residents trapped on the upper floors were rescued. Today, the building stands as a jarring contrast of pristine preservation and fire-ravaged decay—a place where the residents’ lives are still laid out as if they might return for tea at any moment.
I. The Entrance: A House Divided
As you approach the manor, the architecture still whispers of its 1920s glory—sturdy stone walls and grand entryways. But as soon as you step inside, you must “mask up.” The air is thick with a cocktail of stagnant damp, soot, and the aggressive bloom of black mold.
The building is now a tale of two halves. The Old Manor section is a skeleton of charred beams and collapsed ceilings. The Extension, built more recently, looks almost ready for new occupants, save for the thick layer of dust.
The Resident’s Room: In the first room on the ground floor, the evacuation is palpable. Toothbrushes and toothpaste still sit on the vanity. A collection of DVDs is stacked neatly next to a television that will never turn on again. A corgi-shaped magnifying glass sits on a bedside table—a small, personal tool for a resident whose eyes were failing, left behind in the heat of the moment.
The Sudden Exit: Perhaps most haunting are the Christmas lights still strung around the top of the wardrobes. The fire occurred just weeks after the holiday season; the festive cheer now serves as a grim irony amidst the scorched wood.
II. The Dining Hall and the Frozen Menu
Moving deeper into the manor, you find the communal dining room. It is remarkably intact compared to the bedrooms. Large framed pictures still hang on the walls, and a clock remains frozen at 12:15—just fifteen minutes before the first alarm would have screamed through the halls.
The Last Supper: A chalkboard in the kitchen still displays the menu from that fateful week. On Monday, January 18, the residents were served:
Boiled ham and sprouts
Mashed potatoes and roast turkey
The Chef’s Secret: In the pantry, amongst jars of food dated December 2017, explorers found a bottle of Napoleon Brandy. It remains nearly full, tucked away behind the industrial-sized pots. Was it for a celebration, or a quiet nightcap for a staff member working the late shift?
III. The Room of Dennis and the 80th Birthday
One of the most poignant finds in the care home is a double room that belonged to a resident named Dennis.
The Milestone: On a shelf sits a card celebrating an 80th birthday. Dennis had reached a milestone only to have his sanctuary destroyed by fire.
The Artist’s Soul: Dennis was clearly a man of talent. His radio sits on the nightstand next to a set of watercolors and brushes. He spent his final days painting the Welsh landscape through windows that are now cracked and grey with grime.
The Wardrobe: Dennis’s clothes are still hung neatly. Suits, sweaters, and ties—a lifetime of identity reduced to fabric gathering mold. In a nearby room, a bird has even built a nest inside one of the resident’s discarded ties, using the silk to cradle its eggs—a literal example of nature reclaiming the ruins.
IV. The Extension: The “Clean” Decay
Crossing over into the modern extension is like stepping through a portal. Here, the fire damage is non-existent, but the silence is heavier.
The Medical Room: This room is a dream for forensic enthusiasts. Vials of “water for injections,” blood pressure machines, and boxes of catheters are scattered about. It feels clinical, cold, and abandoned.
The Common Room: The furniture here is “Lazy Boy” style—expensive electric recliners designed for comfort. A piano sits in the corner; it’s an electric model, and though it’s covered in dust, it looks as though it could still play a tune if the power were ever restored.
The Office: The nerve center of the care home. Keys for every room hang on a board. A heavy floor safe sits under a desk, with a pickaxe lying nearby—clear evidence that someone, at some point, tried to break into the facility’s cash reserves but failed against the heavy steel.
V. The Basement: Christmas in the Dark
The final stop for many explorers is the basement. Accessible by narrow stone steps, it is a damp, low-ceilinged vault of memories.
The Decorations: The basement is filled with boxes of Christmas decorations. Tinsel, baubles, and artificial trees wait in the dark for a December that will never come to this manor again.
Suitcases: Old leather suitcases, likely belonging to residents who passed away long before the fire, are stored here. They represent the “end of the line”—items that were never collected by families, left to rot in the foundations of the home.
Conclusion: The Five-Star Ghost
The Pembrokeshire Care Home was once a “five-star” facility, a place of dignity and high-quality care. It wasn’t closed due to scandal or neglect, but by a random, devastating accident. This makes the remains all the more tragic; the abandonment wasn’t a choice, but a necessity.
As you exit the building and remove your mask, the fresh Welsh air feels like a gift. Behind you, the manor remains—a monument to the 1920s, a relic of the 1940s, and a tomb for the memories of those who spent their final years there. Seven people were pulled from the flames that night, but their stories remain trapped in the ash.
