Things to do at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant

Two visitors in the garden at Ty Mawr Wybrnant, Conwy, with daisies in the foreground. — Visitors in the garden at Ty Mawr Wybrnant | © National Trust Images / Arnhel de Serra

We look forward to welcoming you to Tŷ Mawr again this year. We’re continuing to work with partners to offer an exciting programme of monthly open days, each with a different theme. We’ll be sharing all our updates here.

Coming up...

Sunday, 6 October - Last open day of the season

A chance to have a look around Tŷ Mawr before the farmhouse closes for the season.

Thursday, 24 October - Garden and Nature sessions at Tŷ Mawr

Morning session (10am— 12pm)

In the morning session you’ll plant native daffodils in the garden at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant and investigate plants that people from the Tudor period planted in their gardens. The work will contribute towards interpretation on the site.

Afternoon session (2pm-5pm)

In the afternoon session there will be an opportunity to be creative and to create nature art work which displays some of the pictures and names of the plants in the garden, so that visitors get an idea of the use of the plants, their names and their cultural connections.

Book a place

There is space for 10 people for each session and booking will be required. You are welcome to register for the morning session only, the afternoon session only or for both sessions. To book place, please email Judith@mentrauiaith.cymru

There will be an opportunity in-between sessions to go for a walk and for everyone to get to know each other. Please bring your own lunch.

Opening times - 2024

Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant will be open on the following days:

Day	Date	Time
Tuesday	16 April - 24 September	10am until 4pm
Saturday	16 April - 28 September	10am until 4pm
Sunday	First Sunday of every month. Last open day on 6 October. See monthly open days section below for more information.	10am until 4pm

To reach Tŷ Mawr head to Penmachno and follow brown signs from there, do not follow sat nav or come via A470. 

Farmhouse

Come and take a look around this small but culturally significant 16th-century farmhouse which was the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, whose 10-year endeavour to translate the Bible into Welsh helped ensure the survival of the language.

A member of staff will be at hand to tell you all about its history and to answer any questions you may have.

See opening times for 2024 in the table above.

Exhibition room

Whilst the farmhouse itself is only open on specific days, the nearby exhibition room will be open daily until 1 September. Here you can read about the history of Tŷ Mawr, includig the facsinating period when the old drovers' road was in use.

Visitors looking at a display case at Ty Mawr Wybrnant, birthplace of Bishop William Morgan in Conwy, Wales — Visitors looking at a display case at Ty Mawr Wybrnant | © National Trust Images / Arnhel de Serra

Garden

The small Tudor garden at Tŷ Mawr, which is in the process of being renovated, has been designed to give maximum year-round sensory appeal whilst also featuring plants referenced in Shakespeare’s writings and The Bible - which forms an additional connection with the history of Tŷ Mawr and its occupants. Efforts are being made to grow unusual as well as more familiar plants to pique the interest of visitors, with sustainability and environmental principles at the heart of the project.

Click here for more information about the garden.

The Tudor Garden at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant | © National Trust

Nearby walks

Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant and Cwm Wybrnant walk

This walk takes you through the natural and social history of this Welsh upland valley. At its centre is Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, who translated the Bible into Welsh. You'll walk through traditional upland farmland, along forest roads and an old drovers' road.

Click on the link for more information: Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant and Cwm Wybrnant walk

Ty'n y Coed Uchaf and Cwm Eidda walk

A 5-mile walk through the history of upland Wales, taking in rivers, open farmland and the remains of ancient woodland. You'll see fine views towards Snowdon and Moel Siabod along the way, as well as a huge range of plants and wildlife.

Click on the link for more information: Ty'n y Coed Uchaf and Cwm Eidda walk

View over the valley from Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant on a sunny day — View over the valley from Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Monthly open days

Monthly open days at Tŷ Mawr are held on the first Sunday of every month between 10am and 4pm, each exploring a different theme.

6 October - Last open day of the season

A chance to have a look around Tŷ Mawr before the farmhouse closes for the season.

Gwilym Bowen Rhys performing at Ty Mawr — Gwilym Bowen Rhys performing at Tŷ Mawr during the June open day event | © National Trust Images / Siôn Edward Jones

What's been so far...

May

A guided walk by Ioan Davies, Eryri National Park Warden in partnership with Cwm Penmachno Nature Festival took place at the start of May. The walk was a chance to hear a bit about its history and to explore the natural beauty of the Wybrnant valley.

June

Many people came together to enjoy a picnic and wonderful entertainment by Gwilym Bowen Rhys on a fine Sunday afternoon in Tŷ Mawr. As well as folk classics such as 'Wrth Fynd Efo Deio i Dywyn,' there were other songs with interesting and sad backgrounds to them - including an original song by Gwilym who talked about his great great grandfather and others who died in a coal mine explosion in south Wales.

July

A fascinating S4C documentary from 1988 called 'Dyddiau Dyn - Newid Tŷ' was shown , documetning the major restoration that took place at Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant. It was fantastic to welcome the Turner brothers back to Tŷ Mawr, and the four of them hadn't been on site together since the fantastic building work they did with their father back in 1988.

August

Creative portraits of William Morgan by local pupils, with the help of artist Eleri Jones, were displayed at Tŷ Mawr as part of the 'Masterpieces in Schools' partnership with the National Library of Wales.

September

Prof. Angharad Price delivered a superb lecture to a packed room of eager listeners on the topic of Welsh Catholics during the time of William Morgan. Everyone was fully immersed in the fascinating stories about Gruffydd Robert, Morys Clynnog and Owen Lewis, who lived in exile during a tumultuous time in Tudor history, with many thought provoking questions being asked at the end.