The mansion house of Plas Machynlleth was for many generations a family seat of the Londonderry family.
The building of the house stretches over 200 years, with the oldest parts dating back to the 1600s while the front was added in 1853. The house was called Greenfields for many years.

Sir George Vane-Tempest became Earl Vane in 1854 and 5th Marquess of Londonderry in 1872. He sat in the House of Commons as an MP for 26 years and died in 1884.
His eldest son Charles, who inherited the estate of Plas Machynlleth and became the 6th Marquess of Londonderry, is pictured above right. The famous clock tower (right) in the centre of Machynlleth was built in 1874 to mark his 'coming of age' at 21 years old.
There were many famous visitors to Plas Machynlleth during the Victorian years including the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VII on the death of Queen Victoria.
The mansion house and grounds were given to the town of Machynlleth by the 7th Marquess in 1948 and were used as council offices for many years. Today the Plas is the home of the Celtica heritage centre.

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