The faint aroma of ghostly pipe smoke…
This magnificent medieval town house is thought to be the oldest such dwelling still surviving in Wales. Tree ring analysis from one of the many timbers has provided a date of around 1420 for its construction. This was during the period following Owain Glyndŵr’s rising, when devastated buildings in Conwy were rebuilt. The house consists of two lower floors of stone with a half-timbered upper storey overhanging the street. The unusual design – for instance, there were no fireplaces in the original building – has led to much speculation as to its construction. It is thought the house may have been built for merchants by craftsmen from Cheshire and the Midlands.
The building has been much altered over the years to include Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian styles. In 1934 Alexander Campbell Blair donated the house and its contents to the National Trust, ensuring its preservation. Aside from the many fine artworks and exhibits on show, an audio-visual tour presents a vivid demonstration of more than 600 years of life in the house, along with descriptions of the various people who have occupied it. Some of them are said to haunt the house today, including a mysterious lady by the fireplace and a wandering Victorian gentleman with a faint aroma of pipe smoke!
Please visit National Trust website
Conwy via A55 or B5106
Conwy - 250 yards
Bus stop in town centre
On North Wales Coastal Cycle Route No 5
Castle Street, town centre
10 steps to entrance but accessible from shop below. No parking next to site. No wheelchair access.
Full Figure Grid Reference: SH 782775 OS explorer map sheet:115