History

A C17 house, modernised in later C18. The Brecknock Museum houses a stone fireplace lintel from the house, with date "1619", and Havard Arms. The block to E was formerly stables and cartshed, but now houses chapel. The house was owned by members of the Philips family from 1669. William Philips "a lover of antiquity" was Town Clerk of Brecon after the Restoration, and his elder son (1663 - 1721) was Recorder of Brecon. The younger son, Captain Thomas Philips (died 1713) made the Captain's Walk to S of Glamorgan Street houses. The house was owned by William Scourfield, and then his widow Anne; in 1779 the house was sold by Henry Scourfield "of Robeston Hall in Co Pembroke, Esq" to "Thomas Williams of Brecon, Gentleman".
By the early C20, the owners were a French Religious Order, Les Filles de Saint Esprit of St Brieuc, Brittany.
Since 1940s, an Ursuline Convent; the school closed in the late C20. The Convent formerly included Morgannwg House which is now in separate ownership. The block to W was formerly the C19 cartshed and stable block to Buckingham Place, and is in use as a nursery at time of inspection (2005).

Exterior

At W end is a 2 storey block formerly the stables to No 3 Buckingham Place. Stone with red brick dressings; slate roof; camber-headed window and door openings. On ground floor, two wide cartshed doors to L and, to R, a panelled door with fanlight with small panes and a 12-pane sash window at right-hand end. On upper floor, four 9-pane sash Windows.

Havard House, basically a 17th century town house. Slate roof with diamond chimneys. Street front of 3 storeys, 3 windows; pebbledash; parapet. On top floor, 3 low casement windows in plain architraves. On first floor, 12-pane sash windows with thick glazing bars in plain architraves. Ground floor, L has doorway with rusticated stone architrave; modern door. Forecourt enclosed by fine wrought iron gates and railings.
To L, Former stable block now converted to convent use. Two sections both rendered with slate roofs. Western block is of two storeys with higher eaves; external chimney breast to front. Stone architraves and first floor band. Nine-pane sash windows, 2 to upper floor, and on ground floor to R. To L, a 4-panelled door with architrave. The Eastern wing is of one storey and attic and has lower eaves. Slate roof. Three gabled dormers with modern two-light casements. On ground floor, four 9-pane sash windows with horns.
To rear, at right angles to W, a gabled block of 2 storeys and attic, with 12-pane sash to attic, two 12-pane sashes to first floor, and 2 tall small-pane windows on ground floor. Main block has, on first floor, four 12-pane sashes, that to L at a lower level. Ground floor breaks forward with doorway to L, and two small-pane sashes to R. At right angles, long modern block.

Interior

Exceptional C18 interiors include Parlour with panelled dado, fireplace with lugged architrave and pediment; iron grate with Gothic detailing. Staircase hall with oak and mahogany stair with turned balusters; flanked by Doric pillars. Sitting room with bolection-moulded doorcase, complete panelling, fireplace with overmantel, cornice, panelled doors. Workroom (former dining room?) with complete panelling, fireplace with pedimented overmantel. Rear bedroom with panelling; fireplace of late C18 with Adamesque iron grate. Front bedroom with, parts of heavy cornice, firplace with overmantel. Many rooms with panelled doors; panelled shutters. C20 chapel with interesting stained glass (c 1960s) by monks of Prinknash Abbey.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* as a group of buildings including C17 house with exceptional C18 panelled interiors and staircase etc. Group Value with adjacent listed buildings in Glamorgan Street, and walls to rear.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743905

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)