Llangollen Ladies & Plas Newydd
How did two renegades inspire romantic literature?
4.4 (31)
33 mins
Explore the inspiring true story of Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, who abandoned high society to build an independent life together in North Wales. Discover how their modest Welsh cottage evolved into a famous Gothic sanctuary that attracted historical figures like Lord Byron and the Duke of Wellington. Learn about the enduring legacy of Plas Newydd, where two women challenged 18th-century expectations and left behind ghost stories that persist to this day.
Ep 1:
Escape to Llangollen: A Pact Sealed in Rain
A rain-soaked journey to a Welsh hillside town uncovers the story of Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby—two Irish aristocrats whose forbidden bond sparked a daring, pistol-armed escape foiled by a barking dog.
Ep 2:
Oak, Obsession, and the Making of a Legend
Settled at Plas Newydd, Eleanor and Sarah transform a humble cottage into a Gothic wonder of donated oak carvings, drawing poets, royals, and legends like Wordsworth and the Duke of Wellington to their door.
Ep 3:
My Beloved: The Question They Never Answered
Behind closed doors, diaries, dogs named Sappho, and a shared bed fuel two centuries of speculation about Eleanor and Sarah's bond—while loyal servant Mary Carroll's quiet sacrifices secure their beloved home forever.
Ep 4:
Ghosts, Marquesses, and the Houses They Left Behind
After the ladies' deaths, Plas Newydd becomes a museum haunted by their memory—while a second, grander Welsh house of the same name reveals its own eccentric, scandalous legacy.
Discussions (5)
Leroy
Level 5 · 6 days agoDogs named Sappho every single time. They were not hiding lol
Hannah
Level 3 · 6 days agoDogs named Sappho says it all
Bernard
Level 5 · 6 days agoEleanor hiding in that cupboard for 2 days while a maid smuggled her food is the most unhinged and committed thing ive ever heard. And the dog snitching on them?? bro the dog said not today.
