Join Historic Buildings & Places for a two-day exploration of Conwy and Llandudno!

We’ll discover the most important sites in Conwy, with an in-depth look at the Castle and Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan town house, before going on a walking tour of the historic centre. We’ll also hear from key speakers involved in Welsh heritage in a short lecture series at the Imperial Hotel, Llandudno, before finishing the weekend with a tour of Penderyn Distillery, a recent award-winning retrofit project. Dinner on Saturday evening is included in the ticket price. Accommodation is not included for this event.

If you can’t join us for the full weekend event, why not come along for the Sunday morning talks – all are welcome! Advance booking required.

Tickets:

Tickets for the full weekend are £140 HB&P members / £155 non-members.

Tickets for the Sunday 8th September lectures ONLY are £18 HB&P members / £26 non-members.

Book your tickets via our website. 

7th September Conwy Itinerary:

9.30 – 11.00am tour of Plas Mawr

11.15 – 12.30pm tour of Conwy Castle

12.30 – 3pm  free time in castle + lunch break

3pm – 4.30pm walking tour around the historic bridges, the quayside and the town

4.30pm – 5:30pm walk around the town walls

5:30pm – 7:30pm dinner.

8th September Llandudno Itinerary:

9.30 – 12.30 – Lectures at the Imperial Hotel. Speakers are: Jenny Emmett, Rob Evans, and Susan Fielding.

12.30 – 2pm – Lunch break & reconvene at distillery

2pm – 3pm – Penderyn Distillery tour (this will be a traditional distillery tour, but our guide will also briefly talk about the recent retrofit project).

Please note that some items and timings could change.

About our guest speakers:

Speaker 1: Jenny Emmett, National Specialist Lead: Planning and Regional Head (Heritage Management) & Senior Planning Archaeologist at Heneb: Gwynedd Archaeology

“Try not to damage the historic bits!” The historic environment and development in north-west Wales 

Jenny Emmett will be providing an insight into the curatorial work of Heneb: The Trust for Welsh Archaeology in north-west Wales (formerly Gwynedd Archaeological Trust).  Following an introduction to the historic environment record, its content and how it can be accessed, the talk will present the results of recent investigations in the region that have taken place as a result of development, with particular focus on built heritage. 

Jenny has been archaeological advisor to the local planning authorities of north-west Wales for 14 years. Having begun her career volunteering at a museum, she studied at Cardiff University and by distance learning at Leicester University, and apart from a brief spell on a remote Scottish island, has worked in archaeology in Wales ever since. She has particular interest in landscape archaeology, setting, and use of spaces within buildings, especially institutions. 

Speaker 2: Rob Evans, Senior Archaeologist at Heneb: Gwynedd Archaeology

Rob Evans will present a case study of Heneb’s excavations at Ty’n y Mynydd, a post-medieval cottage in North Wales.

Speaker 3: Susan Fielding, Senior Investigator (Historic Buildings) at the RCAHMW

Capeli Cymru 

The Nonconformist Chapel is an architectural icon of Wales, it’s ubiquity from north to south, rural and urban, providing a particularly Welsh sense of place. Susan Fielding will introduce how, within the space of 200 years, Wales became the land of chapels, the wealth of variety that exists within the buildings, and the richness of the social and cultural heritage that they represent. She will also explore the reasons for their decline and the work being undertaken by the Royal Commission and others to combat the loss of both tangible and intangible heritage resulting from accelerating mass closure. 

Susan is Senior Investigator (Historic Buildings) at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales where she leads thematic research projects on Places of Worship and 20th Century Built Heritage. She is part of the Welsh Historic Places of Worship Forum Executive Committee, the Baptist Union of Great Britain casework committee, Capel: The Chapels Historical Society, and is advisor to Addoldai Cymru: the Welsh Religious Buildings Trust, as well as having been involved in various Welsh Government and Local Authority led faith tourism projects. She is Chair of C20 Cymru and sits on the casework committee of the 20th Century Society. 

Access Information: Please note that part of this weekend will involve a full day of walking and may include climbing some stairs. The ramp to the castle is steep and to get in the castle at the ground floor involves some steps without hand rails.  The town walls involve a lot of steps and a steep climb as well. Please also note that the town walls are not suitable for those who do not like heights. Much of the tour on the first day will be taking place outside. We advise to wear suitable clothing and footwear.

Cancellation policy: Refunds can be provided for cancellations 7 or more business days prior to the event.