Smallest House in Great Britain

Conwy, United Kingdom

The Smallest House in Great Britain, also known as the Quay House, is a tourist attraction on the quay in Conwy, Wales. It is reputed to be the smallest house in the United Kingdom.

The minuscule home was built in the 16th century and remained in use until 1900, when the tenant was a 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m) 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, along with a number of properties. The house is owned by the landlord's descendants, the landlord being a man also named Robert Jones, having been passed to female relatives since Robert's sons showed a lack of interest in the business.

After some persuasion by the then editor of the North Wales Weekly News, Roger Dawson (the owner) and the editor toured the United Kingdom in order to declare the house The Smallest House in Great Britain, a status that was later confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records.

The house was recently involved in an advertising campaign by the furniture company Snug, who demonstrated that they could fit their sofa into the smallest house in Britain.

Architecture

The house has a floor area of 3.05 by 1.8 m and is painted red. It stands near the Conwy Castle walls. The ground floor is devoted to the living area with room for coal and an open fire, and a water tap tucked behind the stairs. The upstairs holds the cramped bedroom, which also comes with a small niche for storage.

Tourism

Tours of the house occur daily. A Welsh lady in traditional clothing stands outside when the house is open and will tell visitors about the history of the house. Visitors are unable to go upstairs to the first floor, due to structural instability, but can view it from the step ladder. It is open from spring to autumn.

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Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Michelle Sawyer (8 months ago)
Great visit to the smallest house. The ladies on the door were so lovely .They took their time to chat to my children, including my non verbal youngest who they were really lovely with. Everyone found it interesting and enjoyed the information inside. Didn't wait too long to get inside :)
Jane Hallam (8 months ago)
Great little visit excise the pun. £1.00 for children and £1.50 for adults with a photo opportunity and history lesson. Talk about value for money and cumture
Bruce Levitan (8 months ago)
An interesting attraction if you have 15 minutes to spare and the queue is not too long. Built in the 16th century and lived in until the early 20th, it really is tiny, with just two small rooms which, incredibly, housed a family of 6 at one time. The entrance fee is modest, so I'd recommend stopping by.
Carol Lo (9 months ago)
Although the weather was bad and it was raining heavily when we came, the atmosphere here was still very pleasant and comfortable. If the weather is good, this place would definitely be a relaxing destination
Christapher Johny (10 months ago)
It was closed when we visited but this tiny house is truly unique. Squeezed between the town wall turret and another house, this little place is slightly deeper than myself laying down on the pavement next to the house. Wow, this truly is a tiny house. Amazing that someone of 6'3" lived in it for 3 yrs and at one point a couple. Really worth a visit if you're in/near Conwy. Dorothy or one of the other Ladies, dressed in Welsh costume will tell you all about it. Pay a pound to go inside & help preserve this tiny house.
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