Plas Mawr Elizabethan Town House - Castles of Wales

Visit Plas Mawr and Get Your Cadw Explorer Pass to Visit 20 Historic Monuments in Wales

Your key to unlock Wales' greatest castles, in one ticket!

The Castles of Wales Explorer Pass offers the freedom to explore all of Cadw's historic attractions and help you get the most out of your visit to Wales.

Entry to 20 Welsh castles and attractions (see additional info for full list)
Visit as many castle as you want
Choice of either the 3 day pass or 7 day pass (the 3 day pass gives you 3 days of entrance and is valid for a 7 day period. The 7 day pass gives you 7 days of entrance, valid for 14 days)
Save lots of money!

Book your Castle of Wales Explorer Pass by tapping 'Book' on this page. Once booked, your pass will be sent to you by email. Show this pass upon entry to all attractions either on your device or print if you prefer.

Explore a house from the Elizabethan era

As you walk the cobbled streets of the medieval market town of Conwy, your eye might be caught by an impressive white building.

Plas Mawr is a gorgeous townhouse from the Elizabethan era which has been carefully preserved and restored for you to explore.

Built between 1576 and 1585 by merchant Robert Wynn, it's a truly magnificent structure and a fascinating glimpse into life hundreds of years ago.

Immense, impressive and interesting

Plas Mawr is huge, with 17 rooms that are all packed with history. The building has been used for many different purposes since it was constructed, including a courthouse, a school, and even an art gallery.

Now, however, it's a memorial to Elizabethan Wales, likely the best of its kind. Cadw extensively restored the building in 1995 to bring it back to how it would have looked in its prime, and this work also recreated the beautiful Elizabethan garden.

You can learn more by picking up an audio guide that'll tell you plenty about the house's fascinating history while you explore. We promise that a trip to Plas Mawr will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to the days of the Tudors.

A history of aristocracy and anger

The most striking aspect of Plas Mawr’s architecture is its ornamental plasterwork, which fills the house with gorgeous patterns and regal coats of arms.

This aspect of the design was also an important statement at the time about social status - decorations like these were made famous by King Henry VIII and were reserved almost exclusively for residences that belonged to the upper class.

While he came from a prosperous family, Robert Wynn was by no means born a noble, yet that didn't stop him living like one!

While there are royal arms depicted in the great chamber where he entertained prestigious guests, part of the plasterwork hidden away in Wynn’s room depicts a coat of arms that uses a severed Englishman’s head!

Wynn also incorporated many other architectural inspirations from across the world into Plas Mawr.

See if you can spot the unusual depictions of women who are scandalously carrying baskets of strawberries around the walls. Words don’t do justice to how strange these figures really are, so you’ll have to see them for yourself to understand!

Mawr than just a house

Plas Mawr is widely considered to be one of the finest surviving townhouses of the Elizabethan era, if not the finest.

For those who'll appreciate its staggering architecture or are keen to learn about its grand history, a trip to this breathtaking building is sure to be a memorable step back in time.

What other Cadw attractions can I visit with the Castles of Wales Pass?

Conwy LL32 8DE

Paid parking
Toilets
Café

Plas Mawr Elizabethan Town House - Castles of Wales