The Home of the Air Ace

Posted on 25 May 2017

Swayne Johnson Solicitors are honoured to handle the sale of a very prestigious and historic North Wales estate upon Anglesey alongside the local firm of Tudur Roberts Glynne and Co.

This estate, Bryn Aber, is very special in a lot of ways. It was originally purchased by none other than Captain Vivian Hewitt – the first person to ever fly across the Irish Sea on the 26th of April in 1912 – airborne for an incredible 75 miles (in fog no less!) in a plane constructed of wood, wire, and canvas.

Captain Vivian Hewitt’s crossing was from Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl, after two other attempts at crossing the Irish Sea had been made by other aviators. The bravery of Captain Vivian Hewitt and dedication to the completion of the flight was absolutely incredible – as one of the previous aviators had to be rescued, and the other and his plane was sadly never recovered.

Captain Vivian Hewitt managed to land his plane safely despite thick fog, and landed to a heroes welcome in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.  After the First World War, Captain Vivian Hewitt gave up the thought of flying, and eventually moved from his mother’s estate to Cemlyn, and had a house constructed upon it, Bryn Aber – which comes with 3.86 acres of its own grounds – as well as three stone buildings originally used for the storage of coal and some other items.  

It is said that there Hewitt lived a very happy but a very solitary life, with only a single housekeeper to attend him, and often called himself the gardener of the estate when adoring fans happened upon him. This trait had Captain Vivian Hewitt be known by the moniker “The Humble Millionaire”.

Shaun Hughes of our Private Client Department, who we recently put under our spotlight, is handling this prestigious transaction of the Bryn Aber Estate, of which includes an Entrance Hall, 4 Spacious Reception Rooms, a large conservatory, a fitted kitchen (with an adjoining utility room) 4 double bedrooms and a family bathroom, as well as 3.86 acres of its own grounds.

Based in our Llandudno and Bangor offices, Shaun Hughes recently gained a Distinction with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners’ (STEP) Advanced Family Business Advising. The leading worldwide professional body for practitioners of trusts and estates.

For more information on this fantastic estate, click here.