Nantclwyd y Dre (formerly known as Nantclwyd House) is a historic house and garden in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales. Recognised as one of the oldest timber-framed townhouses in Wales, its construction dates back to 1435. The property has undergone numerous changes and restorations over the centuries, reflecting various architectural styles and historical periods. Today, it serves as a historic house museum, offering visitors a glimpse into the life and times of its former inhabitants.
History Carbon dating of the timbers of the house have shown that the core structure was started in 1435/1436. This dates the property to the time after the destruction wrought by the army of Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr, and the English-sponsored rebuilding of the affected Welsh towns. In the 15th century Ruthin was a regional centre for weaving, and the land on which the house now stands then belonged to Welsh weaver Goronwy ap Madog and his English wife Suzanna. Lying just 100 metres (330 ft) north of the entrance to Ruthin Castle and with a street frontage, the scale and location of the site shows both the importance and wealth of the owner. The earliest part of the structure shows it to be part of a 15th-century cruck framed hall house which occupied the southern part of the present street-frontage, built using timber felled in the winter of 1434–5. The position of the structure as well as the width of the inner garden to the rear, suggest that the site was originally two burgage plots which dated from when the town was laid out in the 13th century, but were then combined to allow construction of the hall house. Following Jacobean era enlargement, the major late Stuart period addition includes the distinctive pillared porch. The name Nantclwyd y Dre was probably bestowed on the property in the 1720s. During the Georgian era, the local Wynne family restored the property to habitable status. It was then converted into a girls school in the Victorian era, and from 1834 it also became the local lodge for visiting judges. In 1925, existing tenant and retired civil engineer Clinton Holme bought the house, and in 1928 he removed the exterior render to expose the timber frames. He sold the property to Samuel Dyer Gough who continued the restoration, and made it into the local hub for the Arts and Crafts movement. In 1984 the Dyer Gough family sold the house and its gardens to Clwyd County Council. From the mid-2000s Denbighshire County Council started work on preserving the property. The building was designated as a Grade I building in 1950.
Visitor attraction and museum Converted into a living history museum, Nantclwyd y Dre today provides an insight into the history of the house, and lives of its residents. Changing fashions, interiors, and daily life can be experienced through faithfully recreated rooms which reflect the styles of historic periods from the medieval to modern eras, including:
Modern: 1942 hall Edwardian: 1916 rector's study Victorian: 1891 schoolroom Georgian: panelled bedroom suite with Chinese-wallpaper Stuart: 1690 "cabinet" of Stuart owner Eubule Thelwall (c. 1622–1695), with its "Kidderminster stuff" hangings and plaster ceiling Jacobean: bedchamber with hung bed, painted cloths, and "stool of ease" in its closet Medieval: 15th-century "business room", its 1435 structure virtually unchanged, showing the preserved documentation of a medieval resident' pilgrimage to Rome, found during restoration within the building's infrastructure In 2023, Nantclwyd y Dre benefited from an initiative funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government, to enhance its visitor experience through new soundscapes and costumes created by Theatr Clwyd. The project, which aimed to enrich the interpretive elements of the historic house, resulted in the installation of immersive soundscapes that represent the typical sounds of a busy household during the time periods encountered throughout the attraction. In addition, new costumes reflecting the varying period fashions of its occupants help bring the house's past to life.
Lord's Garden
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