Architectural Historian & Illustrator.

Hello, I’m Dr Bethan Scorey, an architectural historian and illustrator from Cardiff. My work celebrates the historic buildings and gardens of Wales through research, writing, and colourful illustrations.

I am an early-career architectural historian with a particular research interest in the Welsh country house and its designed landscape. I recently completed my PhD in History at the Institute for the Study of Welsh Estates (ISWE). The subject of my doctoral research was the Grade I-listed, Elizabethan country house St Fagans Castle in Cardiff. My thesis took a multi-period and multi-disciplinary approach to telling the story of St Fagans, with chapters spanning the twelfth to the twentieth century and interrelated sections on architecture, designed landscape and ownership. My monograph on St Fagans Castle is forthcoming. Based at Bangor University, ISWE is a national research centre which exists to enhance understanding of the role of estates and country houses in the histories, cultures and landscapes of Wales; I remain part of the team in my part-time role of Research and Engagement Associate.

My identity as an architectural historian is grounded in my decade of experience as a Museum Assistant at St Fagans National Museum of History, spending time in the various re-erected and re-created buildings – from an Iron Age roundhouse to a 1940s prefab – and interpreting them for visitors. At St Fagans, I discovered my interest in historic buildings, which lead me to pursue an MSt in Building History at Cambridge University and then my PhD.

Since 2024, I have been the resident architectural historian on the Welsh-language television programme 'Cartrefi Cymru' (‘Homes of Wales’), which brings architectural history and contemporary design to wider audiences. The first series considered the evolution of houses from the Tudor period to the present day over ten episodes. The second series, currently being broadcast on S4C, looks at a different type of house in each episode, including workers' houses, eco-friendly houses, flats, cottages, and farmhouses.

I am also a freelance illustrator, specialising in illustrations of historic buildings and gardens. I have an ever-growing collection of prints and cards featuring Welsh buildings/gardens, all of which come with a short, bilingual history of the site depicted. I sell these products in my online shop and at various markets.

My current stockists in Cardiff are:

I have also worked on several commercial illustration projects. In 2021, I created the cover and chapter illustrations for Clive Aslet’s book The Story of the Country House, published by Yale University Press. I am particularly proud to have worked with several heritage organisations in Wales, including Amgueddfa Cymru to illustrate the re-erected Vulcan Hotel at St Fagans National History Museum; Nantgarw China Works to create a custom card design; and C20 Cymru to create a promotional postcard.

Talks:

2025:

For the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust and the Welsh Victorian Society: lecture entitled ‘Three Generations of Windsor-Clive Women and their impact of the gardens at St Fagans Castle, 1850–1923’ at Insole Court, Cardiff.

2024:

Researching, Writing and Presenting Welsh Country House Histories Conference at Penpont, Brecon: paper entitled ‘St Fagans Castle: An Architectural History’.

New Insights into C16 and C17 British Architecture 14th Annual Conference, Society of Antiquaries, London: paper entitled ‘Investigating St Fagans Castle, an Elizabethan Mansion in Cardiff’.

2023:

Women’s Archive Wales 26th Annual Conference, St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff: paper entitled ‘Three Generations of Windsor Clive Women at St Fagans Castle’.
For Design Swansea: talk about bringing illustration and history together in my work.
For Discovering Old Welsh Houses: online lecture entitled ‘St Fagans Castle: its architectural and garden history’.

2021:

For Cynfas, the National Museum of Wales’ digital arts magazine: discussion about St Fagans with Manon Awst and Mared McAleavey.
New Directions in Welsh History Conference, online: paper entitled ‘New Perspectives on Ironworkers’ Housing in Merthyr Tydfil, 1750 - 1850’.

Writing: