Mary Oldham grew up in a village in the UK called Chillwell, just five miles from Nottingham.

And when she grew up, Mary really loved books.

One of her first jobs was working at our local library every Saturday.

And after graduating from high school at the age of 16, she started working there full time.

Eventually, she took the path to become a librarian herself, and she moved away from home.

I first came to Wales in the 1960s to do my library diploma in Abilistory.

And three years later, I found myself working here in the old county of Montonnesia

as the school's librarian.

And the cultural center of those years was and still is Griginag Hall.

Gregonog Hall is what you and I might think of as a typical English estate, a big house,

huge lawn right in the center of a village.

Concerts, festivals, performances, all sorts of incredible things happen at Greganog Hall.

The place is a crown jewel for whales and the people who live there.

And it's all because of two women that Mary has come to know really well,

the Davies sisters.

They are who turned this estate into a treasure trove for the arts.

I'm Dillon Thuris, and this is Atlas Obscira,

a celebration of the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

Today we're visiting Mary's workplace, Gregonog Hall,

to learn about two sisters who went to war,

used their fortune for good deeds, and helped to create an arts and music hub for their entire community.

More after this. Gregonog Hall dates back to the 16th century.

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