Swtan Heritage Museum

About the museum

Swtan is a restored thatched cottage on its original site close to the cliff tops at Church Bay, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Heritage Coast. Records mention the place as Swttan in the reign of Henry VIII, and a building has stood on the site since at least 1678, when it appears in an indenture. The cottage was built as a single dwelling, probably in the mid to late 18th century, and extended in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a typical crogloft cottage of the kind once home to poor labouring families across rural Wales, and the family who lived there farmed a few acres and fished for lobsters.

By the 1990s the buildings were derelict. Restoration began in 1998 and was paid for with local and European Union funding through Menter Môn. It followed the original dimensions and used traditional materials, including stone bedded in a mix of marl and straw, elm roof timbers and a thatch of gorse, straw and reed. The project also gave local unemployed people the chance to learn traditional building skills. Swtan is described as the last thatched cottage on Anglesey.

Today the earth-floored cottage is furnished with period objects to give an impression of life around 1900. The grounds include an information barn, a collection of vintage tools, a herb garden, vegetable plots and a small orchard of old Welsh fruit varieties. The museum is run by the charity Cyfeillion Swtan (Friends of Swtan), and the National Trust is its landlord. School groups can take part in a Victorian-life programme.

Highlights

• Last thatched cottage on Anglesey, restored on its original site
• Earth floor and period objects showing rural Welsh life around 1900
• Collection of vintage tools and an information barn
• Herb garden and orchard of old Welsh fruit varieties
• Cliff-top setting on the Anglesey Coastal Path

Permanent exhibitions

• The thatched cottage – A restored cottage with an earth floor and period objects showing how a rural Welsh household lived around 1900.
• Information barn and vintage tools – A barn with background information on the cottage and the area, and a collection of vintage tools.

Operated by

Cyfeillion Swtan (Friends of Swtan)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum describes wheelchair access as limited.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum has activities for children and describes itself as having something of interest for all the family.

Getting there & parking

Swtan stands near the cliff tops at Church Bay, close to the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path.

Amenities & dining

Sheltered picnic area and a garden with herbs, vegetable plots and a small orchard. Refreshments are available nearby at the Wavecrest Café and the Lobster Pot Restaurant. The public car park in Church Bay has a toilet block.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit