Tudor Merchant's House

You'll find the Tudor Merchant's House on Quay Hill, a narrow alley overlooking Tenby Harbour. He had a shop at the front of the house, opening onto the street. The family lived on the upper floors. We've transformed the house - it now looks just as it would've done in Tenby's heyday in 1500.

The year 1500 was a very exciting time for Tenby. The port had a busy sea trade with the West Country and Spain and Portugal. After the Lancastrians won the Wars of the Roses in 1485, Henry Tudor became Henry VII of England. Henry's uncle, the influential Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, had his power base in Pembrokeshire. He'd invested heavily in fortifying Tenby's defensive walls in the 1450s against Yorkist attacks.

The merchant and his family - at this time, the merchant who lived here in Tenby would probably have had a shop at the front of the house. It would've opened onto the street, selling goods such as wool cloth, sea coal, vinegar, pots and spices - all traded through the port.

At the back of the house would've been a kitchen centred around a large open fire. The family would've lived mainly on the first floor and slept in the bedroom above.