Llanerchaeron, including rear Service Courtyard Ranges (previously listed as Llanaeron House), Ciliau Aeron, Ceredigion

History

Largely of 1794 by John Nash, architect, for William Lewis. J.Baker (1794) noted that the house was "new erected", but clearly there is earlier fabric of uncertain date, as indicated by the large chimney on the N wall of the main block and irregularities inside. Later alterations, and whole of arrangement shown on 1844 Tithe map. Sale documents of 1634 refer to "Plas yn Llanychayron". Passed from Parrys to Lewis family of Plas Ciliau Aeron in 1689. Passed to Lewes family of Llysnewydd in later C19.

Exterior

Two storeys, roughly square plan with lower service wing to N and single storey service court beyond. Colourwashed roughcast elevations over red brick (rubble to older part and service buildings). Slate hipped roofs, valleyed to N of main block and service wing. Broad bracketed eaves. Red brick chimney stacks, renewed c.1900, three to inner slopes of main part and two thick stacks to N wall, two to inner slopes of wing and four to courtyard ranges.

E (entrance) front of 3 bays: recessed centre bay with large projecting Greek Doric porch added after 1845 with paired fluted columns, entablature and balustrade. Inner 4-panel door with side lights and large traceried fanlight. First floor with 12-pane hornless sash windows, that to the right set lower: this was done in 1920, reflecting the lower level of the old house, which Nash typically ignored in his fenestration. Ground floor left window with Venetian window set in round arched recess with tripartite 4:12:4 sash windows having pilaster jambs to the narrow side lights: stucco fluted over-arch. Though glazed, the window is blind. Right-hand canted bay window of 1854 with 12-pane sashes. Five bay S front, 12-pane hornless sashes with painted stone sills. Ground floor windows set in round arched recesses. W front of 3 bays with similar sashes to first floor, the left set lower for the same reason as that to E. Ground floor Venetian windows as above, the left one altered (without over-arch), but glazing as E. The other two have c.1900 plate glass to sashes.

Service Range: Plain design in rubble with modillion eaves cornice, double depth with 5-window range of 12-pane sashes to W, brick surrounds. To ground floor, the second window from right has been moved and to centre is canted 4:12:4 timber bay window. E side has paired windows under broad cambered brick heads, two pairs of 6-pane sashes to each storey, the right pair half obscured by single storey gabled addition to kitchen. Rear of service range forms N side of picturesque enclosed service court of single storey ranges on 3 sides. Elevation of service block with wide cambered windows to each side on both storeys and pair of 6-panel doors with 4-pane overlights to centre. Upper windows are low with paired 6-pane sashes. Lower windows mostly boarded over. Slate sills. Pent roof over ground floor (being restored), but paired putlogs over the doors suggest that perhaps a large porch was once intended. Service ranges with blocked door to each return wall adjoining service block. Single storey ranges with deep overhanging slate/corrugated roofs: the supports on the E side, probably secondary. Eaves to W range have been cut back. Construction of colourwashed render over rubble. W and E sides are matching, with large elliptically headed recess to centre containing tripartite window and two round arched doorways each side with tripartite fanlights. Second door from left to E has been altered. Red brick surrounds. N range is slightly later, containing central entry passage. Courtyard elevation with central round arched entry, stone voussoirs. Arched doorway each side with 6-panel doors and fanlights; stone voussoirs. Outer door each side with brick surrounds, 6-panel door to left, blocked to right. N (outer) elevation with cast iron fanlight to entrance, boarded door. Two wide widows each side, the outer ones with 2-light 16-pane glazing. Stone voussoirs. Outer elevation of E range with wide elliptically headed 12:24:12 sash to centre with slate sill and brick surround: this replaces two earlier brick arched openings. Two 9-pane windows to right with slate sills, brick dressings to left and timber lintel to right. Small hipped W.C. in both outer angles with rear wing, each with 12-pane horizontal sliding window.

Interior

The older house occupies the site of the rooms on the N side of the main block, which are on a lower level and have stone vaulted cellars. Interesting ground floor plan. Entrance hall with modillion cornice opens into square domed inner hall with arches on four sides, that to W leading to Drawing Room, which has shallow elliptical S end. Early C19 neo-Grec fireplace. Plaster cornice and panelled window shutters. To the S is the Dining Room, modillion cornice and Victorian fireplace. Both rooms with doors having 6 panels: outer raised beading. Arch to N gives into top-lit stair hall with double return cantilevered stone staircase. Scrolled wrought iron balustrade, wooden handrail. The timber top-light was added in the early C20, when the roof was slightly reordered. The older part of the house has oak floors (the rest are deal): also doors with 6 raised and fielded panels, which could be mid/late C18. Library with simple plaster cornice; similar in Morning Room, which has late C19 fireplace. First floor with domical vestibule as below, glazed cone (probably not original) over a moulded plaster circular opening, fluted on inner face with guilloche on the underside. Plain SW and SE rooms, good fret cornice in latter. Dressing room between with plaster cornice and coved ceiling, the upper part framed by a reed moulding; Simple marble chimneypiece, probably of 1794. Plain NE and NW rooms. Of chief importance are the two oval dressing rooms. E one has curved corner niches large ceiling centrepiece of radiating feathers, wreathed cable-type cornice. W dressing room has cornice, plaster ceiling roundel, curved corner niches and simple late C18 chimneypiece. Both rooms have curved 6-panel doors. First floor of service block with suite of three rooms to W: the southern room has a concave chimney-breast and plain Nash fire surround. Round arched 8-panel door each side. Early C20 back stair, replacing spiral one, when attic rooms were lost due to roof alterations. Ground floor of range with spinal corridor: two large kitchens to E, big fireplaces (elliptically arched to larger kitchen). Housekeepers' rooms to W with fitted cupboards. Service ranges with large room to W, having segmentally arched plaster ceiling (derelict) and slate salting troughs. NE room has brick oven. Brewhouse to NW corner.

Undergoing restoration by National Trust (summer 1995).

Reasons for Listing

Llanerchaeron is the most complete surviving work by John Nash in Wales and shows features of design and plan used later again in his famous career.

External Links

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