The tiny house craze is sweeping the world; people are finding ways to live with extremely limited space using their ingenuity and cleverness and reducing their carbon footprint. However, the idea of the tiny house is not a new one.
Tucked away in the cozy city of Conwy, Wales lies a truly unique house: The smallest one in Great Britain. Also called Quay House, this tiny home has a floor area of 10 x 5.9 feet and borders the walls of Conwy Castle, or “The quayside”
Built in the 1600s, this property was actually constructed as “infill property,” or to fill in a gap. Eventually, however, a builder determined that with the housing shortage, the space could be turned into a functional rental home. Numerous people, from paupers to artists, rented the small house over many decades. However, around 1900, an inspector declared the space unfit for habitation. The landlord was dismayed to hear this and decided it should become a landmark in order to keep cash flowing in.
Boasting a bright red facade and confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records, the house now conducts daily tours and maintains a website with historical information and photographs.
With the more complex needs of humans today, the Quay House may not be a perfect example of tiny house living, but it certainly broke the mold!