Achievements
We have visited over 1,000 houses across North Wales around 142 have been assessed for tree-ring dating. Our specialist tree-ring dating partner is the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory, which now has a dendrochronologist based permanently in Wales. We have completed 175 house histories, all written by volunteers, and have commissioned 87 professional building reports. This would not have been possible without the financial support of many grant-aiding bodies to whom we are very grateful. We have raised £265,000 in grants along with additional match-funding through subscriptions & special events.
As a result of all this research work, and that of others working in the field, our knowledge of historic houses in North Wales has been transformed. The development of houses in the late Middle Ages is now much clearer as more are discovered and scientifically dated - the earliest town house was built in 1414 and the earliest gentry house in the countryside in 1417. Other surveys show how familes invested in modernising their houses and farm buildings, seeking greater comfort, privacy and efficiency: the evidence of the buildings themselves is a crucial resource, especially when (as is often the case) little or no documentation survives.
All this work involves our volunteers and depends on the hospitality of those property owners who open their doors to us. It helps local communities and the wider public understand and appreciate Wales’s precious heritage. Our work could not be done without them, or the generosity of very many grant-awarding bodies, both public and private. Our extensive archive of reports is freely available on this website.
