Famous ‘ugly’ house once used as ‘robbers hideout’ with beauty spot views on sale for £199k – despite locals’ uprising

MoneyProperty AN iconic “ugly house” house in the UK, believed to have been a bandit hideout, is currently for sale despite residents wanting it to remain public. The Welsh cottage, named The Ugly House, is famed for its unusual brickwork and strange chimneys. The house features a higgledy-piggledy brick exterior Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions The inside has been transformed into a tea and cake shop Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions The unique spot steeped in Welsh folklore has gone on sale for £199,000 and sits nearby to the iconic Snowdonia. It sits in a prominent roadside position on the A5 between Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig and is being offered with just over five acres of adjoining land. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! It was constructed from boulders weighing up to three tonnes and has fascinated generations of visitors with its fairy tale claims. One story famously describes it as a 15th-century robbers’ hideout. Nearby residents are currently fighting for the spot to remain public Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions It also offers local crafts and education on the surrounding woods Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions The tale states it was a makeshift den for bandits, constructed overnight, which explains the uneven appearance. Another suggests the building was a “Tŷ Unnos” – a house that, if built overnight on common land with smoke rising by daybreak, was yours to keep. It is surrounded by mountain scenery and occupies a prominent position on one of North Wales’ busiest tourist routes. Although the property requires minor upgrading and improvement, it offers buyers the opportunity to restore and enhance a building described as having genuine historic importance. Most read in Money The cottage is surrounded by extensive woodlands Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions It sits on a popular road nearby to Snowdonia Credit: Jam Press/Town and Country Property Auctions However, a petition claiming Tŷ Hyll is a “symbol of Snowdonia’s heritage, folklore and identity” and calling for the sale to be paused has collected 540 signatures. Petition starter Catherine McGuinness said the wider community had been “devastated” by the announcement. She said: “Tŷ Hyll is not just a building, it is a symbol of Snowdonia’s heritage, folklore and identity. “Generations of locals and visitors know it as a place to get a taste of homemade Welsh food, to experience the peace of its grounds and get lost in it’s beauty. “The woodland, bee garden, and tearoom have been cared for with love and dedication, by the staff there that go above and beyond for all who visit.” It is being auctioned by Town and Country Property Auctions on September 23 with a guide price of £199,000. Comment now