Tŷ Siamas, National folk music centre in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales
Tŷ Siamas is the National Centre for Folk Music in Wales, housed in the former Neuadd Idris market hall on Dolgellau Square. The building has two arcaded public facades with arches on the eastern and southern sides, and inside it contains a main hall, a public gallery, a recording facility, and rooms for music lessons.
The grand building was put up around 1870 as a market hall and assembly rooms, then used for grain storage during the First World War and as a cinema between the wars. After years as a dance venue and then a period of closure, it was renovated and opened as the folk music centre in June 2007.
The name Neuadd Idris still appears on the front of the building, marking the moment in the middle of the 20th century when the hall was named after the local landscape. Inside, the wide staircase and the broad stage at the western end date from the preparations for the National Eisteddfod held in the town in 1949.
The centre sits right on the town square, so it is easy to spot when walking through Dolgellau. It is best to check opening times before stopping by, because the building hosts lessons, performances, and recording sessions rather than a fixed daily exhibition.
The centre is named after Elis Siôn Siamas, an 18th-century harpist from Llanfachreth who is remembered as the first person to build a triple harp in Wales. A story passed down by local musicians claims he was also harpist to Queen Anne, and his descendants are said to still live around Dolgellau.
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