William Ewart Gladstone was born in Liverpool and educated at Eton and Oxford. He was elected to Parliament, as a Tory, aged 23 and in 1859 joined the Liberal party. He become the Liberal leader in 1867 and British Prime Minister for the first time the following year.

He became prime minister for the second time in 1880. For the third time in 1886 and the fourth in 1892. He was a prolific reader and writer and found that the north Wales coast was the perfect place to do just that. He first visited Penmaenmawr in 1855 and over the next forty years would make several visits to his favourite spot by the sea. In 1895 Gladstone bequeathed £40,000 and much of his private book collection to found St Deiniol’s Library in Hawarden, Flintshire hauling most of his 32,000 books the three miles to their new home himself. By wheelbarrow. Impressive stuff – he was 85 at the time. Today, it’s Britain’s finest residential library, and the nation’s tribute to his life and work.

www.st-deiniols.com
www.attractionsnorthwales.co.uk