Project of the week

Dating back to 1838, Llanfyllin Workhouse housed some of the most vulnerable people in nineteenth-century Welsh society. The Grade II*-listed building, also known locally as Y Dolydd, is thought to be the finest surviving example of a workhouse built under the New Poor Law.

After serving as a care home, and briefly as an outdoor pursuits centre, the building had stood abandoned and derelict prior to its purchase by the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust in 2004.

What followed the Trust’s acquisition of Llanfyllin Workhouse was an inspiring transformation. Conservation and restoration work has restored the original fabric of the building, enabling it to be opened up to the public as a museum, arts and community centre.

Today, while the gradual restoration of the workhouse continues, it already has much to offer the local community and visitors, including Wales’ only Workhouse Museum, a popular bunkhouse, a café, venue and gallery, 20 workshops and studios, and an escape room, along with guided tours, events, exhibitions and educational programmes.

“Taking on such a large and complex building in a derelict state was a huge challenge for a small community. After twenty years, the restoration still isn’t complete, but we feel proud that the workhouse has been rescued and is telling its story. It’s uplifting to see it packed with visitors on an event weekend.”

John Hainsworth, Trustee at Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust