The Smallest House in Britain is at risk of being severely damaged or disappearing all together as a result of climate change and flooding a new study has revealed.
The Conwy-based house, which is just 72 inches wide by 122 inches high, has stood for hundreds of years dating back to the 16th century.
It was occupied up until May 1900 and is now a popular tourist attraction which thousands of visitors flock to every year from all around the world.
Smallest House in Great Britain at risk due to climate change and flooding
But now a new study has revealed the future of the Smallest House in Britain is under threat due to climate change.
Culture and Climate Risk is a new report compiled by Cardiff Metropolitan University's Dr Lana St Leger in collaboration with the future generations commissioner for Wales.
In the report Dr St Leger’s explores the affects climate change is set to have on the future of some of Wales' cultural sites.
More than 30,000 Listed Buildings in Wales were mapped as part of the study, with Dr St Leger’s analysis revealing around 16% of them (4% by seas and 12% by rivers) are located in Flood Zones, with the Smallest House in Britain in Conwy among them.
This could mean sites like the smallest house will be "damaged or disappear" while others could "have their visual appearance altered, or become unsafe or inaccessible".
The Smallest House in Great Britain is among a number of Listed sites in Wales at risk of being damaged or disappearing due to being located in a Flood Zone. (Image: Google Maps)
Dr St Leger, speaking to Sky News, said: "The important message from the report is that there are current threats to heritage and cultural sites in Wales, but it also highlights the importance of listening to community voices for planning for climate change.
"And that's with particular regard to understanding local concerns, or people who are perhaps more in the know about how heritage within their area is, and to understand the wide range of issues associated with climate change."
A Welsh government spokesperson added it recognised the threat posed to Wales's historic assets by climate change, saying: "Cadw and the heritage sector in Wales are actively working together on research to better understand and map impacts of climate change as well as identify approaches to adaptation and mitigation."
Smallest House in Great Britain owner hopes report will "raise awareness"
Owner and manager of the Smallest House in Great Britain, Jan Tyley, also spoke to Sky News and said she hoped the report would "raise awareness" and Conwy County Borough Council would acknowledge the risk posed by flooding.
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Tyley said: "There is a limited amount that we can do, but there is a lot the council can do in terms of protecting those buildings and protecting the quay front itself.
"I also know that their finances are very stretched sadly. It's a difficult conundrum that everyone finds themselves in, I think.
"The whole of Conwy Valley, as far as I understand it, the water levels fluctuate quite substantially, which increases the threat for everybody."
Ms Tyley said it was a "privilege" to own the Grade II Listed building and hoped to one day be able to "pass it on to the next generation, to keep it there for everybody who wants to come and see it".
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