Y Tŷ Cymreig’s house expert, Greg Stevenson, was delighted to be able to witness this re-creation of a rural custom. “I was conscious that by not featuring any Tai Unnos in the previous series, we had missed an important story from the history of Welsh housing. Of course, as all of the original examples have now been rebuilt or demolished, it was a difficult idea to portray. So it was fantastic that we could join Dorian and the people of Trelech as they had a go.”

“But the thing that I think makes this a particularly rewarding programme is to see how a rural community came together to achieve this dream. I knew about the one-night house tradition from historical records, but what I hadn’t understood was the tremendous sense of ‘hwyl’ that it creates, and that the very process reaffirms family bonds and brings together the community that the house then becomes part of. We are very precious about home-ownership today, but this little thatch cottage will always be a part of the cultural memory of the people of Trelech, it is now their house, and the process of building it has enriched the lives of everyone who took part.”

back to first page