Weekend in Conwy and Llandudno, Wales

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. More information available below.

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).

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

“Eighteenth century vernacular cottages on the Isle of Anglesey; a community project at Ty’n y Mynydd, Bumwerth, Holyhead, Anglesey.”

The talk will discuss the development of cottages associated with the Penrhos and Plas Newydd estates on the Island in the 18^th century to 19^th centuries. It will use the case of Ty’n y Mynydd, a small estate cottage and farm, and the larger adjacent Bumwerth as examples and discuss the outcomes, and value of a community project on the social history and understanding of this cottage and our common built heritage  in the area.

Rob is a Senior Archaeologist at Heneb: Gwynedd Archaeology, who concentrates on commercial and grant aided projects. He has a particular interest in the early and post-medieval periods.

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.  

View the set menu that will be available for dinner on the Saturday evening at the Castle Hotel in Conwy. Dinner on Saturday evening is included in your ticket price. Please include your selections for each of the three courses when you book your ticket. A glass of wine or a non-alcoholic alternative is included with your meal and can be selected on the evening.