Rhydycroesau is a tiny village on the English-Welsh border, 3.25 miles (5.23 km) west of Oswestry on the B4580 road.

A native of Conwy, where his father was the Vicar, he was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (MA).

He was a renowned scholar of his time, who wrote the Biography of Eminent Welshmen and the Cornish Dictionary.

[4] In 1835, whilst curate of Llangernyw, he published The History and Antiquities of the town of Aberconwy.

He was described as "ponderous and pedantic, big and burly, waddling as he walked with three or four pupils at his heels".

Water was pumped from a well and up to five fires had to be laid and lit each morning to provide any warmth at all.

[citation needed] It was not until 1981 that the then-owners opened the Rectory's doors to the public, first as a restaurant and subsequently as a hotel.