Lawrence of Arabia’s Welsh birthplace goes on sale for £1,375,000

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The birthplace of the legendary Lawrence of Arabia has gone up for sale, more than 2,000 miles from the desert.

The heroic Thomas Edward Lawrence was born in the Welsh village of Tremadog, Carnarvonshire, but moved as a child before leaving the UK to serve in Cairo in 1914.

He found fame leading the Arab rebellion against the Ottomans. Empire during World War I, prompting the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O’Toole in the title role.

Now his birthplace, a Grade II listed property now called Snowdon Lodge but also known as Ty Lawrence or Gorphwysfa, has come on the market for £1,375,000.

The Lawrence family lived in the house for about 18 months in 1888 and 1889, before moving to the Galloway region of Scotland and then to Brittany in France and Jersey.

Snowdon Lodge is described as having ‘huge potential’, with 14 rentable bedrooms, a teaching room, lounge, games room, dining rooms and a catering kitchen, which has undergone major renovation work in recent years .

Memorabilia and commemorative items are also scattered around the property, which is run as group accommodation, for guests to enjoy, including a plaque and new artwork paying homage to the archaeologist.

The current owners, Carl and Anja Borum, commissioned international sculptor David Williams-Ellis to design a bronze statue of Lawrence, as part of a planned exhibition and visitor attraction on the site.

The former home of the famous officer, who died just two months after leaving the army in a motorbike accident, is up for sale with Fleurets and is an incredible opportunity for history buffs.

In the market with specialists in leisure properties, Fleurets, is also ideal for anyone looking to escape to the countryside and start a hospitality business.

Carl and Anja have owned the home for 20 years, but have decided to hang up their boots and retire from the trade to focus on their family, grandchildren and Anja’s osteopathic career.

“We’ve run the business part-time having previously operated a B&B down the road,” Carl said.

“Following the sale of that business, we focused on a large-scale refurbishment of Snowdon Lodge to improve facilities and add additional bedrooms, new suites, a large games room and conference facilities.”

Anja added: “We have run Snowdon Lodge as a lifestyle business so there is huge potential for a new owner to take the business to the next level.”

Priced at £1,375,000, it’s not exactly cheap, but the property was reported to be on the market for £900,000 in 2008, so there’s clearly room to go.

In addition, Snowdon Lodge has the ability to operate as a hostel, hotel, B&B, restaurant with rooms, self-catering, holiday resort or medical care facility.

The thriving Welsh-speaking village of Tremadog is a hotspot for tourists, within easy reach of the picturesque town of Porthmadog and right on the doorstep of the sea and a number of walking and climbing routes.

It’s not exactly Arabia, but if you fancy owning a piece of history and establishing a life in the country, it might be the place for you.

Take a look at the property listing and ask to see through Fleurets.

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