Property Overview
Tŷ Hyll, widely known as the Ugly House, is a distinctive Grade II listed early nineteenth-century cottage standing beside the A5 between Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig in Eryri National Park. Built from massive undressed boulders and closely associated with the development of tourism in North Wales, it has become one of the best-known historic landmarks in the area. Since 1988 the property has been owned by Cymdeithas Eryri (the Snowdonia Society). It served as the Society's headquarters until 2010 and has subsequently operated as a tearoom, honeybee hub and demonstration site for woodland conservation and wildlife-friendly gardening. The adjoining land includes gardens and woodland that have formed an important part of the property's environmental and visitor role. Tŷ Hyll is now being offered for sale by unconditional online auction on 23 September 2026, with a guide price of £199,000 plus fees. The sale includes approximately 5.19 acres. Its established public identity, heritage significance, roadside location and landscape setting provide opportunities for continued hospitality, visitor, educational, conservation or other appropriate uses, subject to the necessary statutory consents.
Property Details
| PROPERTY DETAILS | |
|---|---|
| Property Type: | Cottage |
| Period: | Georgian |
| Date of Construction: | 1819–1821 |
| Former / Historic Use: | Historic cottage; headquarters of Cymdeithas Eryri / Snowdonia Society from 1988 to 2010; subsequently an independently operated tearoom, honeybee centre and environmental education and conservation site. The property is being sold with vacant possession, with the existing tearoom tenant due to vacate on 5 October 2026. |
| Current Use: | Commercial |
| HERITAGE & SIGNIFICANCE | |
| Designation: | Listed Building |
| Listing Grade / Category: | Grade II — England & Wales |
| List Entry Number: | 3182 |
| Heritage Significance: | Tŷ Hyll is designated Grade II for its special architectural interest as an early nineteenth-century Picturesque cottage and for the historical interest of its early association with tourism in North Wales. Its deliberately picturesque character differs markedly from the local vernacular tradition and reflects the Romantic culture surrounding the growth of tourism in the region. Cadw also identifies its influence on later Gwydir Estate cottages erected from the late 1830s to around 1850. The folklore surrounding Tŷ Hyll, including its supposed origin as a tŷ unnos or “house built in one night”, forms part of its later cultural history rather than an established account of its construction. |
| Important Historic Features: | Highly distinctive construction in huge undressed boulders, some weighing several tonnes, with smaller stone packing and moss; small-slate roof with deep eaves carried on massive boulder corbels; tapering semicircular chimney projection terminating in a squat conical stack; tall irregular boulder chimney to the rear; timber mullioned and leaded windows; deep slate verges; slate-flagged interior floor; oak-framed ceiling; and a substantial open fireplace with roughly dressed slate lintel, jambs and hearth. The building's roadside position within the wooded landscape beside the A5 is also integral to its character. |
| CONDITION & RESTORATION | |
| Condition: | Fair |
| Restoration Level: | Moderate Restoration |
| Condition & Known Issues: | The selling agent reports that the property requires some upgrading and improvement. The principal identified infrastructure issue is the existing private drainage system, which will require replacement or substantial upgrading. A purchaser will need to establish an appropriate compliant drainage solution and obtain any necessary consents. The vendor and auctioneers provide no warranty as to the existing system; the sales particulars indicate a potential replacement cost of approximately £20,000–£80,000 depending on future use. Private water is supplied by borehole and mains electricity is understood to be connected. A detailed building survey and specialist assessment of the historic fabric and services should form part of purchaser due diligence. |
| Restoration Opportunity: | The opportunity is to secure a sustainable new phase of use while retaining the distinctive character and historic fabric of Tŷ Hyll. Conservation-led works should prioritise repair and minimum intervention, address the drainage and other service requirements, and safeguard the building's unusual masonry, roof, windows, chimneys, interior features and landscape setting. Its established relationship with the adjoining gardens and woodland should be considered as part of the conservation of the place as a whole. |
| POTENTIAL USE & ADAPTIVE REUSE | |
| Potential Use: | Commercial Use, Hospitality, Tourism / Visitor Attraction |
| Potential Use Notes: | Tŷ Hyll already has an established history of public-facing use as a tearoom, visitor destination and centre for environmental education and conservation activity. Appropriate future possibilities could include continued hospitality, heritage interpretation, environmental education, conservation and training activities, or other compatible commercial or community uses. Cymdeithas Eryri has expressed the hope that a new owner will manage the building and land in a spirit that recognises the conservation work undertaken there over many years. Any new use or physical alteration would remain subject to the necessary statutory consents. |
| AVAILABILITY & OPPORTUNITY | |
| Listing Status: | For Sale |
| Opportunity Type: | Other Heritage Opportunity |
| Price: | £199,000 |
| Price Qualifier: | Guide Price |
| Tenure: | Freehold |
| PUBLIC LISTING CONTACT DETAILS | |
| Selling Agent: | Iwan M Williams Estate Agents – Llanrwst |
| Owner / Vendor: | Cymdeithas Eryri / Snowdonia Society |
| Contact Email: | enq@imwestates.com |
| IMAGES, SOURCES & ATTRIBUTION | |
| Source Organisation: | Iwan M Williams Estate Agents; Town & Country Property Auctions; Cadw; Cymdeithas Eryri / Snowdonia Society |
| Original Source URL: | https://www.snowdonia-society.org.uk/ugly-house/ |
| Image Source: | Peter S / Geograph Britain and Ireland / Wikimedia Commons |
| Source | |
| Image Credit: | Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0). Image: “Ty Hyll (the Ugly House) between Betws y Coed and Capel Curig”, photographed 19 August 2013 |
| PUBLICATION & VERIFICATION | |
| Publisher: | ConserveConnect Editorial Listing |
| Publisher Statement: | ConserveConnect editorial listing compiled from current selling-agent and auction particulars, the Cadw statutory list entry and information published by Cymdeithas Eryri / Snowdonia Society. Sale particulars and auction status were checked on 20 September 2026. Prospective purchasers should verify current availability and rely on the auction legal pack, statutory records, inspection and appropriate independent professional advice before proceeding. |
| Information last checked: | 20/09/2026 |
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