Forgotten Model Village, Wales

This Forgotten Model Village was built by a local cabinet maker and his wife, both of whom had a passion for gardening. It took them 2 years to landscape this area, and to hand-build the models. Many hours must have gone into recreating these small-scale versions of Wales’ most beloved attractions and buildings. Models originally included famous landmarks such as Beaumaris Castle and Menai Bridge.

This attraction was opened in 1992 and enjoyed years of success, a perfect little world in a manicured and pruned garden. There was even a small train ride for children which was a big success. The model village is well located, on a busy road frequented by summer tourists and families driving between other well-known attractions.

Things began to change around 2010, and the model village became plagued by negative reviews online. Perhaps the owners had become complacent, or had lost interest in maintaining the village. Perhaps the visitors simply started demanding more than this humble roadside attraction could provide. It seems that the entry fee was deemed too high for so few models, in what is essentialy the owners back garden.

There are reviews of poorly maintained models, which were overgrown to the point of being almost totally obscured. Models reportedly were in need of “a lick of paint”, and the little world “looked like a town that had been abandoned in the aftermath of a nuclear fallout”. Customers complained that the the displays lacked life, being just model buildings with imagination bringing the exhibits to life. This attraction lacked that spark of excitement that other model villages have; fire brigades battling tiny fires, quarry workers excavating rocks or a town cricket match captured in exquisite detail.

In 2015 the now- elderly couple retired, and put the model village up for sale. It took 2 years before a buyer was found. In 2017 new owners took over the model village, and have returned it to popularity once more.

This Forgotten Model Village was photographed in the summer of 2017.