Siop Clwyd, Denbigh

Siop Clwyd, 33 High Street

This is probably the oldest surviving building in Denbigh which isn’t connected to the castle and town walls. Timbers inside have been dated to 1533. This indicates that the building would have been built soon afterwards. Timber was used for buildings straight after felling and cutting, without being seasoned (left to dry out).

The building occupies a burgage plot – a rectangle of land at right angles to the street. It was divided into three units by internal stone walls.

Originally the central unit was a hall – with no ceiling or first floor. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales suggests that the first floor was probably installed there in the 17th century, when a central fireplace was added. The date 1665 is inscribed in the ceiling on the first floor.

According to Cadw, the historic monuments authority for Wales, this building may well have been built to function as a shop as well as a dwelling, which would make it one of the oldest shops in Wales. The rear unit in the building – which was erected on part of Denbigh’s market square – may also have been a shop.

During the 1890s the building was home to the veterinary surgery of JH Wynne, formerly a tutor at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

Today the front of the building is home to Siop Clwyd, which sells books on local history and other subjects, as well as cards and Welsh crafts.

Postcode: LL16 3HY    View Location Map