The Llanfyllin Workhouse, known locally as Y Dolydd, is home to a project which is finding new and viable community uses for one of Wales’s most remarkable historic buildings. Built in 1839 to house the poor, the Workhouse blends classic grandeur with the durability of local stone and slate and is one of the finest surviving examples of its type.
Who we are
The Workhouse is owned by the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust, a registered charity run and controlled by its members. We bought the building, empty and derelict, with a loan from the architectural Heritage Fund, now replaced by a mortgage from the Ecology Building Society.
What we do
The Trust has obtained planning consent for the building to become a community enterprise, and work is well under way The plans include:
- Workshops and studios for artists and small businesses
- A venue, bar and café
- A gallery and centre for the arts
- A bunkhouse and short stay accommodation for families, with camping
- Meeting rooms and educational facilities
- A courtyard theatre
- A community garden, wildflower meadow and camping orchard
- Five units of permanent housing
- A history centre telling the story of the building and those who lived here
We promote and host concerts, exhibitions, drama and film: educational courses and activities; social and fund-raising events; gigs and private functions.
Renovation and restoration work on the building is ongoing, much of it done by volunteers using recycled materials and funded through grants or our own efforts. We believe strongly in sustainability and respect for the environment. We also work hard to maintain an income stream to cover mortgage and insurance costs.
How you can help
We need and welcome members who would like to get involved or just to support us through their subscriptions. Membership costs £12 a year, or a pound a month. A newsletter goes out in spring and autumn, and along with this website, keeps people in touch. Volunteering opportunities include work on the building and site; organising or helping with events; publicity, marketing and fund raising or researching the history of the building and the people housed within it throughout the years. We are open to new ideas and are always looking to extend the appeal of this beautiful old building so that its future in the wider community is assured for many years to come. Please do get in touch!