You might think that people visiting Britain's smallest house will know what to expect but it seems that some visitors aren't not impressed with its size. Online reviewers of the property on Conwy quay have complained about its lack of facilities and expansive tours.
Each year, the tiny house gives thousands of visitors a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in times gone but some were not happy at the limited numbers of people it can accommodate at any one time.
Despite entry only being £1.50, one disappointed visitor wrote: “Couldn’t spend more than half an hour there. Awarding it just a single star, another person expressed disappointment at the absence of a "kitchen or bathroom", NorthWalesLive reported.
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Having visited Britian’s Smallest House, one tourist was astonished to find “a very small house.” Another labelled it a “small extension” and was sure that no one had actually ever lived there. One person complained there wasn’t enough space to turn around.
The comments made another visitor chuckle. “Makes me laugh that other reviews say it small! It's the smallest house in the UK - how big are your houses?”
At 122 inches tall and just 72 inches wide, with just 1.5m squared of usable floor space, the Smallest House can come as a shock to people accustomed to modern properties. But it was occupied for more than 300 years and at one point even housed a family of six.
Its existence owed much to an enterprising builder. In the 16th century, a row of cottages was constructed alongside Conwy’s walls. As the walls' central tower abutted onto the quay, the row didn’t quite meet, leaving a gap.
Later, as housing became scarcer, the gap was infilled to create another cottage. In time, the property would come to be affectionately known by everyone in Conwy as “Smalls”.
The first modern UK census in 1841 listed the then occupant as a painter. From then on, the property was occupied by a widow, coachman and fisherman. A master mariner shared the house with his wife.
Last to live there, just over a century ago, was Robert Jones, a gardener, labourer and fisherman. Famously, he was 6ft 3 inches tall. Unable to stand up fully in the cottage’s two rooms, he was forced to move out when the council declared the house, and several others, unfit for human habitation.
It was only the intervention of Roger Dawson, owner and editor of the North Wales Weekly News, who saved it from destruction. Spurred on by another Robert Jones, the property’s owner, he toured the UK to confirm that the Lower Gate Street house was in fact the UK’s smallest and thus worth saving.
Robert Jones’ family still own the property, the latest custodian being Jan Tyley, his great-great-granddaughter. Now painted red, the ground floor living area has an open coal fire and a water tap tucked behind the stairs. On the first floor is a tiny bedroom, accessed by a ladder, with a small storage niche.
Writing online, Jan said: “Just because it lacks the mod cons by current standards does not mean that it was not lived in. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was not at all uncommon for poorer accommodation not to have either a bathroom or kitchen, with residents using communal toilet facilities and cooking over an open fire. The Smallest House is simply preserved as a testament to how simply some people had to live in years gone by.”
Each year 55,000 visitors pop in for a look. Even knowing what to expect, the tiddly space still has the capacity to surprise, with the vast majority leaving glowing reviews.
“Worth sticking your head in... to make you appreciate what you have at home,” said one. “Great piece of history that needs to be kept.”
- Now closed for the winter, the Smallest House will open again in the spring. Entry is £1.50 for adults and £1 for under 16s. No booking is required. More details can be found here.
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