The house is situated immediately to the north of Glan Clwyd Hospital in the parish of Bodelwyddan in the historic county of Flintshire, but now in Denbighshire.

Thomas Pennant passed by Faenol Fawr in his Tour to Snowdonia in 1776, when he records: "In a very wet situation, beneath Kinmael, is Vaenol; one of the best old houses in the county of Flint.

register (Registrar) of St Asaph in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; a place extremely profitable, before the powers of the church were abridged".

Immediately to the N W is the Old Farm House with crow stepped gables, which is listed grade II, as is also the large barn to the east.

They reported that: The picturesque manor-house of Vaenol, with its stepped gables, is an interesting specimen of an Elizabethan mansion, having been built by John Lloyd, Registrar of the diocese of St Asaph, in 1597, as shown by a shield of arms with the initialsI.LL.

His daughter and heiress, married William Price of Rhiwlas (near Bala), in whose family it continued until a few years ago, when it was sold to the Baronet of Bodelwyddan.

Over the entrance door was carved the legend VIVE UT Vivas 1725, and other internal arrangements were indicated by the dates 1690 and 1770.

Immediately to the north west is the Old Farm House with crow stepped gables, which is listed grade II, as is the large barn to the east.

These moulded beams can be compared with similar beams at Maesycastell in Caernarvonshire and Perthywig in Denbighshire which are illustrated by Smith[9] This house with crow stepped gables is almost certainly the house built in 1597 for John, Lloyd, the registrar of the diocese of St. Asaph, and then, on the basis of the date over the front door extensively altered in 1725 or slightly earlier.