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daisystu
@daisystu.bsky.social
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daisystu.bsky.social
Garner based his character Huw (played by Raymond Llewellyn) on Bryn Hall’s groundskeeper Dafydd Rees. “It was a good time,” Dafydd wrote afterwards. “I have been to the stone. She is lonely now.” 9/9
The Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service stands at the edge of a grassy field. Autumnal leaves are scattered around. In the distance there are trees and a steep hill, and sheep can be seen grazing. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
The stone has outlived many of those who took part in the filming in 1969. Dorothy Edwards (who played Nancy) died in 1979. Edwin Richfield (Clive) died in 1990. Shockingly, Michael Holden (Gwyn) was murdered in a London pub in 1977 when he was clubbed over the head with a glass soda siphon. 8/9
Screenshot from episode 2 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Gwyn (Michael Holden) looks through the hole in the Stone of Gronw. His eyes, nose and hair are framed by the circular hole.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
In the story Roger (played by Francis Wallis) photographs a stand of trees through the hole in the stone. Today the trees on the Bryn are still recognisable. Sadly I didn’t detect any mysterious spear-throwing or motorbike-riding figures on the hill. 7/9
A stand of evergreen trees on a hilltop is photographed through the hole in the Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service. The middle ground is intersected by fencing along a road as well as a number of trees with autumnal foliage. The hole in the stone is out of focus. Photograph taken in Llanymawddwy on 31 October 2024. Screenshot from episode 4 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). A man’s hand holds a black-and-white photographic print of a stand of trees on a hill viewed through a circular hole. Screenshot from episode 4 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Close-up of a black-and-white photographic print of a stand of trees on a hill. To right of the trees there appears to be an indistinct human figure. Screenshot from episode 4 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Close-up of a black-and-white photographic print which is zoomed in on a human figure on a hilltop. The figure’s left arm points forward while the right arm is stretched back holding a spear as if about to throw it.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
After filming, Edward Rowlands, the stone mason, carved this inscription into the stone: “Made By E. Rowlands. Aberangell.” Reportedly this was to distinguish the stone prop from a genuine artefact. 6/9
Detail of an inscription carved into the Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service. In a handwriting style it reads: “Made By E. Rowlands. Aberangell.” The writing is slightly obscured by patches of lichen. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
Garner’s daughter Ellen (in Filming the Owl Service: a children’s diary) records the stone being dressed with moss to make it look ancient. The moss and lichen growing on the stone today are entirely natural. 5/9
A close-up view of the top of the Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service. The stone is weathered and festooned with moss and lichen. A field and Welsh hills are out of focus in the background. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
Very helpfully, Wikipedia supplies coordinates for the Owl Service stone: 52° 45′ 34.68″ N, 3° 37′ 09.9″ W. So I parked up one day in Llanymawddwy, hopped over a fence into a field of sheep, and walked along the river Dyfi (Dovey) to find… the stone, standing there still. 4/9
The Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service stands on the bank of the River Dyfi in Llanymawddwy, Wales. It is dappled in sunlight with autumnal trees lining the riverbank in the background. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024. A close-up view of the hole in the Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service. The river Dyfi and opposite bank are seen out of focus through the hole. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024. In a grassy field stands the Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service. Some farm buildings can be seen at the top of the field. In the distance trees line the hill. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024. The Stone of Gronw made for the Granada TV adaptation of The Owl Service stands on the bank of the River Dyfi. Trees with autumn leaves line the river. The stone has a hole bored through and is inscribed with a pattern of linked whorls. Photograph taken on 31 October 2024.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
An ancient Welsh myth haunts Garner’s story. In the legend Gronw, having taken Lleu’s wife Blodeuwedd, is killed when Lleu throws a spear through the stone Gronw is holding as a shield. Three teenagers, Alison, Gwyn and Roger, are possessed by the power of the legend that resides in the valley. 3/9
Screenshot from episode 2 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Roger (Francis Wallis) checks his light meter. He has set his camera on a tripod aimed at the hole in the Stone of Gronw. Gwyn (Michael Holden), standing next to the stone, is mid-conversation with Roger. Screenshot from episode 4 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Gwyn (Michael Holden), wearing black, speaks to Alison (Gillian Hills), wearing red. In the background Roger (Francis Wallis), wearing green, looks on with a sullen expression. The clothing colours deliberately evoke those of electrical wiring in the UK in the 1960s.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
The events in The Owl Service take place in a real setting, around Bryn Hall in Llanymawddwy, Wales. The serial, Granada TV’s first in colour, was shot on location. A local stone mason was commissioned to carve the legendary Stone of Gronw which was set into the river bank below Bryn Hall. 2/9
Screenshot from episode 1 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). The Stone of Gronw, with its characteristic hole bored through, stands on the grassy bank of a tree-lined river.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM
daisystu.bsky.social
I went in search of the Stone of Gronw from the 1969 TV adaptation of Alan Garner’s The Owl Service. It’s still there after more than fifty years. A thread… 1/9
Screenshot from episode 1 of Granada TV’s The Owl Service (1969). Roger (Francis Wallis), standing on a riverbank, shields his eyes from the sun as looks across a valley. He is bare chested and wearing green shorts. A stone with a hole bored through stands nearby.
November 13, 2024 at 7:10 PM