The garderobe is a real find for historians

A meeting of conservation experts on Wednesday is now expected to recommend that the town house is awarded Grade One listing and added protection.

The historic find was uncovered when renovation work was begun at the four storey Bryn y Fynnon medical practice in Denbigh town cente.

In the course of their work the builders discovered an unusual feature next to a fireplace.

Historic buildings consultant, Richard Morris was called in and quickly indentified that a toilet of significance had been revealed.

"We certainly weren't expecting to find anything of this importance," he said.

Famous bard

Once a full examination of the unusual amenities are finished, the 16th century garderobe will again be discreetly hidden.

This early example of plumbing will be boarded up.

The Georgian style building was originally believed to be dated to the 1790s.

But following this discovery, a report was commissioned and the findings indicate that the timber in the property was felled in 1581.

The building was once home to William Williams, a famous bard and Eisteddfod adjudicator known in literary cirles as Caledfryn, and a plaque on the outside the building refers to the historic Welsh literary connection to the building.

Denbigh Townscape Heritage Initiative Project Manager, Nathan Blanchard said: "The significance of Bronyffynnon lies in the fact that very few similar houses of this size and the features within have survived in Wales."

"And while not the oldest in Denbigh, it is among the most unique in Wales and considered comparable in interest as Plas Mawr in Conwy and the Tudor Merchants House in Tenby."