Nantclwyd y Dre Historic House and Gardens
BEST FOR
Ages 5-16
ENTRY
from £3
WHERE
Ruthin
What it’s like
A house that grew room by room over 500 years, with a bat camera, medicine making and a piano you're allowed to play.
Each room here belongs to a different century, so you walk through the same house getting steadily older, or younger, depending which way round you go. Kids get stuck into medicine making and food-based activities along the way, plus bookmark making and trails out in the gardens if they need a run-around between rooms. The bat camera is the bit worth saving for last, a live feed onto the lesser horseshoe, long-eared brown and pipistrelle bats that actually live in the building rather than just being talked about.
It suits the 5 to 16 bracket the site sets out, and that tracks: there's reading and history threaded through it, so a toddler would get bored fast but a ten-year-old with questions about who lived where will get their money's worth. A family ticket for two adults and three kids is £25, or £16 if there's just one adult with you, and the garden-only tickets at £3 to £4 are there if you just fancy the outside bit without the house.
The building itself is the catch as much as the draw. It's old. There's no parking on site either, and the nearest council car parks are a 3 to 4 minute walk down a steep narrow street with no pavement, which is worth knowing if you've got a pushchair or small legs in tow.
It only opens Thursday to Saturday between late March and the end of September, 10:30am to 4:30pm with last entry at 3:30pm, so this isn't a rainy Tuesday in November plan. Give yourself a proper couple of hours if you want to do the rooms, the gardens and the bat camera without rushing.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 5 to 16, older kids get the most from the history
- Last entry
- 3:30pm
- Parking
- No on-site parking. Nearest council car parks 3-4 minutes' walk away
- Wheelchairs
- Step-free entrance via alley (may need to ring bell)
- Getting there by bus or train
- Wrexham or Rhyl train stations (bus or taxi required)
- The house dates through 500-plus years, with each room set in a different period
- No lift means upper floors aren't accessible if stairs are an issue
- Nearest car parks are a short walk away via a steep, pavement-free street
- It only runs Thursday to Saturday and shuts for winter
- There's a piano in the parlour downstairs that visitors are welcome to play
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£9 for an adult, £7 for a child aged 5 to 16. Family tickets are £25 for two adults and up to three kids, or £16 with just one adult.
Can we just visit the gardens?
Yes, there's a garden-only ticket at £4 for adults and £3 for kids if you don't want the full house.
What age is it actually good for?
The house is aimed at 5 to 16 year olds. Younger kids probably won't get much out of the history rooms, but older ones with a curious streak will.
Is there parking?
Not on site. The nearest council car parks are 3 to 4 minutes' walk away, down a steep narrow street with no pavement.
What are the opening hours?
Thursday to Saturday, 10:30am to 4:30pm, from late March to the end of September. Last entry is 3:30pm.
Is it open all year?
It's seasonal. It only opens March to September, so there's no visiting over winter.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs or buggies?
The ground floor is step-free through the alley entrance, and you may need to ring a bell to get in. There's no lift though, so the upper floors aren't reachable if stairs are difficult, and there's an accessible toilet on site.
How long should we plan to stay?
A couple of hours covers the house, gardens and bat camera without rushing, though you could linger longer in the gardens.
What do kids actually do there?
They go room to room through different centuries, try medicine making and food-based activities, make bookmarks, follow trails in the gardens and watch the live bat camera.
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