The Dinorben Arms Hotel, originally known as Ty Mawr (The Big House), has been at the social and administrative heart of Amlwch for nearly 250 years 1. It is considered the oldest standing building in the town, with historical records indicating a structure on the site as far back as 1588, and evidence of a large house appearing on maps from 1580.
Ty Mawr served as a central hub long before Amlwch’s industrial boom.
- The Courthouse: In 1784, the building was used as a local courthouse. One famous case involved a young man named William Roberts, who was sentenced for stealing to be stripped to the waist and whipped from Ty Mawr to Porth Amlwch and back while tied to a horse.
- The Cells: Local tradition holds that the hotel’s cellar, which is hewn directly from the rock beneath the building and once featured a cobbled floor and an iron gate, served as the courthouse holding cells.
- Stephen Roose: By the early 19th century, the inn was occupied by Stephen Roose. In 1813, as he prepared to retire, the property was put up for let. At this time, it was described as a substantial residence including four parlours, a kitchen, a tap-room, bar, dairy, two cellars, six bedrooms on the first floor, and two attic bedrooms. It also came with stabling for 12 horses and a 50-acre farm that supplied the kitchen with meat and produce.
Owen Jones (born 1780) took over the tenancy in 1813 and remained the landlord until 1847
. Under his management, Ty Mawr became the “hub of up-market Amlwch life”.
- Hiring Fairs: The hotel hosted the Farm Workers Hiring Fairs every March and October. Transactions were finalized in the tap-room, where beer was served in pewter mugs on a copper-edged wooden table. Holes in the table edge allowed spills to drain onto a reed-covered floor and eventually out into the street.
- Commercial Hub: The building hosted auctions for property, shipping shares, and the revitalization of the Amlwch Cattle Fairs in 1836. It also housed visiting professionals, such as Mr. Cardell, a Surgeon Dentist who consulted patients there in 1831.
- Famine and Riots: During the 1817 corn failure, a public meeting was held at Ty Mawr to raise funds for the needy. The failure to resolve the crisis led to local rioting and the eventual dispatch of troops from Ireland.
- Famous Guests: On July 29, 1819, the eminent scientist Michael Faraday stayed at the inn. He famously complained about being disturbed at 7:00 AM by impatient passengers from a Dublin Packet who had “taken the inn by storm”.
The hotel was still referred to as the “Ty-Mawr Hotel” in 1844, but its name was changed to the Dinorben Hotel (or Dinorben Arms) around 1846. This was in honor of William Lewis Hughes, the owner of Parys Mountain, who had been created 1st Baron Dinorben in 1831.
Samuel Roberts took over the tenancy in 1846. He was responsible for adding the grandiose Georgian wooden porch over the front door, surmounted by the “red lion of Llys Dulas” holding a silver scimitar.
The hotel’s management is well-documented through 19th-century records:
- 1851 Census: Samuel Roberts (32), born in Liverpool, is listed as the Hotel Keeper at Ty Mawr.
- 1861 Census: Ellen Roberts (46) is recorded as the Hotel Keeper at Market Square. She managed the hotel until 1874.
- 1881 Census: Ann Roberts (48) is listed as the Hotel Keeper at Dinorben Square. Her large staff included a waitress, housemaid, cook, kitchen maid, and an ostler.
- 1891 Census: Ann Roberts (56) remains the Publican at the Dinorben Hotel.
Cultural and Industrial Significance
- The Dakota Wreck (1877): Following the wreck of the steamer Dakota, survivors were transferred by horse and cart to the town’s hotels, with the Dinorben hosting many of the displaced passengers.
- Gwaith Hills: In 1878, the hotel hosted a major public meeting to honor Charles Henry Hills upon his departure from the town.
- Cyclists’ Touring Club: In the 1890s, the hotel became a headquarters for the Cyclists’ Touring Club, a status often marked by a winged-wheel plaque on the exterior.
- Early Film: Around 1910, the hotel served as the production base for the actors and crew of the film The Smuggler’s Daughter of Anglesey.