Aberconwy House is a hidden gem on the High Street. The only medieval merchant's house in Conwy to have survived the turbulent history of the walled town over nearly six centuries. Furnished rooms and an audio-visual presentation show daily life from different periods in its history. Aberconwy House dates to the early 14th century, making it the oldest recorded dwelling house in Wales. It was used by English merchants engaged in trading with the Welsh, who were not allowed to live inside the town walls, and in the Victorian period it was used as a temperance hotel. The house was in danger of being sold to an American businessman, dismantled, and shipped overseas, when it was rescued by the National Trust. The house stands at the corner of High Street and Castle Street. It is an eye-catching building, with two lower floors of stone supporting a projecting upper storey of timber. The upper floor extends well over the lower section of the building, with curving wooden timbers takin the weight of the upper floor. The lower section of the house is the oldest, while the top storey of timber was added in the 15th century. Tree-ring analysis of roof timbers suggests that they were felled around 1420.
On the ground floor is a kitchen, and upstairs are a series of rooms, decorated in different styles to illustrate how the house looked at different times in its history. Several rooms are decorated in Georgian style, there is a Victorian bedchamber, and the loft is decorated in Jacobean fashion. The house is full of period furniture. One item that catches the eye is a drinking cup made of horn; you could see right through it. The ambience is wonderful; floorboards creak, dark timbers creates a medieval look, and the authentic furnishings help recreate a sense of Conwy's history. There are very knowledgeable guides throughout the house who are happy to impart their considerable knowledge. Aberconwy House has a reputation as a haunted house. Numerous spectral figures have been reported, including a man in Victorian costume, and a woman near the loft fireplace, said to be the wife of the first owner. Doors are said to rattle and floorboards creak when there is no one about, and footsteps have been heard in the loft. Items on display in the National Trust shop in the basement are said to be moved during the night. There is no on-site parking. There are sensory experiences for the visually impaired. The Building has 10 steps to the entrance. Alternative accessible entrance, via internal staircase from shop. Stairs to other floors. Assistance dogs are welcome.
The Conwy Suspension Bridge is a Grade I-listed structure and is one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. Located in the medieval town of Conwy in Conwy county borough, North Wales, it is now only passable on foot. It originally carried the road from Chester to Bangor. Built by Thomas Telford, the 99.5-metre-long (326 ft) suspension bridge spans the River Conwy next to Conwy Castle, a World Heritage Site. The bridge was built in 1822–26 at a cost of £51,000 and replaced the ferry at the same point. It is in the same style as one of Telford's other bridges, the Menai Suspension Bridge crossing the Menai Strait. The original wooden deck was replaced by an iron roadway in the late nineteenth century and it was strengthened by adding wire cables above the original iron chains in 1903. The following year a six-foot-wide (1.8 m) walkway was added for pedestrian traffic. The bridge was superseded by a new road bridge built alongside in 1958 and is now only used as a footbridge.
Telford designed the bridge to match the adjacent Conwy Castle. The bridge deck is suspended by four tiers of two chains each (a fifth tier was added later) carried over castellated towers that have a central archway over the road with machicolation. The chains are anchored on the east side of the river by a freestone and concrete plinth while those on the western side are anchored to the eastern barbican of the castle and bedrock. Part of the castle had to be demolished during construction of the anchor for the suspension cables. The toll house, occupied for much of the Victorian era by a husband and wife who kept it open day and night, is open to the public. There are guided talks on Thomas Telford available. Mobility parking - limited parking during day by adjoining bridge. The Building has a level entrance. Ground floor is wheelchair accessible. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Situated on Conwy Quay, you can learn about the history of local pearl fishing from Roman times. ‘There are two kinds of mussels found in the Conwy from which pearls are obtained…’ The History of the Town of Aberconwy (1835). Conwy was once one of the most important pearl fisheries in the country. In the early 19th Century over 4 kilos of pearls from Conwy mussels were sent each week to jewellers in London. Musseling in Conwy today is still carried out in the traditional way. Here you can learn about the history of pearl fishing from Roman times; Discover whose crown once housed a Conwy pearl; Find out how mussels are harvested today; See the state-of-the-art mussel purification tanks and find out how to enjoy this tasty treat – considered by some to be an aphrodisiac! There is complete wheelchair access throughout and assistance dogs are welcome. An unusual and delightful museum.
The Smallest House in Great Britain, also known as the Quay House, is a tourist attraction on the quay in Conwy. The house, which has a floor area of 3.05 by 1.8 metres (10.0 by 5.9 ft) and a height of 3.1 metres (10 feet 2 inches) to the eaves, was used as a residence from the 16th century until 1900; as its name indicates, it is reputed to be Britain's smallest house. The house was lived in until 1900, when the tenant was a 6-foot-3-inch fisherman named Robert Jones. The rooms were too small for him to stand up in fully and he was eventually forced to move out when the council declared the house unfit for human habitation. The house is still owned by his descendants. This house is painted red and it stands near the Conwy Castle walls. It is open from spring to autumn. A Welsh lady in traditional clothing stands outside when the house is open and will tell you about the history of the house. The upstairs is so minute that there is room only for a bed and a bedside cabinet. Visitors are unable to go upstairs to the first floor, due to structural instability, but can view it from the step ladder. Understandably, the house is very cramped for wheelchair access.
Location : Aberconwy House, Castle Street, Conwy, LL32 8AY
Location : Conwy Suspension Bridge, Conwy, LL32 8LD
Location : Conwy Mussel Museum, The Purification Plant, The Quay, Conw, LL32 8BB.
Location : The Quay House, The Quay, Conwy, LL32 8BB
Transport : Conwy (National Rail) 4 minutes. Bus Routes : 5, 9, 14, 15, 19, 27, 75, 77, A55 and X5 stop close by.
Opening Times Aberconwy : Daily 11:00 to 17:00
Opening Times Suspension Bridge : Daily 10:30 to 16:00
Opening Times Mussel Museum : Daily 10:30 to 16:30
Opening Times Smallest House : Daily 10:00 to 16:00; Later in the summer months.
Tickets Aberconwy House: Adults £3.40; Children £1.70
Tickets Suspension Bridge: Adults £1.00; Children £0.50
Tickets Mussel Museum: Free
Tickets Smallest House: Adults £1.00; Children £0.50
Tel : 01492 592 246
