History

This house has twice had very major changes while a single dwelling and has then been divided into three as at present (Pant-y-Goitre House, Avalon and Velindre). It is said to have been first built in 1726, when it was a red brick house, with its main block facing north towards the river, with the Drawing Room facing west and a two-storey service wing stretching towards the road on the south. It could have been a Francis Smith of Warwick type house with a main three storey block (Francis Smith was engaged on Davenport House in Shropshire in 1726) or it could have been two storeys and attics with a hipped roof and central pediment. This house had its entrance in the centre of the current north front with a room on the north-east corner, the entrance hall in the centre and the stair compartment in the north-west corner. The stair position is indicated by the two blind windows on the north end of the garden elevation where the 1726 stair ran across the wall in the Francis Smith manner.
The house underwent a major re-modelling at some time after 1776 and before 1832, which may have been a single campaign or two. The original house was possibly heightened to three storeys, with the entrance moved from the north to the east fronts, while the colonnades and other stone decorations were added and the brickwork stuccoed. Alternatively John Newman says that the three storey block is an addition to an existing house lying to the south (Velindre, q.v.) which was later given the neo-classical stone trim and the changes in the planning, but the position of the staircase seems to make this less likely. Only an inspection of the attics and the walls behind the render could really give the true explanation.
The orangery is said to have been added in 1890 and, at this time, the interior was remodelled to allow this. The principal changes were the removal of the staircase from its compartment and the formation of the north ground floor into a single Drawing Room.
In the later C20 the house was divided into three dwellings as it now remains, but the exterior has been only changed in small details such as the upper floor windows.

Exterior

Pant-y-Goitre House comprises the ground and first floors of the main block. The conservatory belongs wholly to Pant-y-Goitre. This is a curved structure of rendered brick, iron and glass in the form of a 7-bay colonnade. The concave side faces north and the convex side with the wider bays faces to the sun. Plain Tuscan colonnade with 12 12 pane French casements between. Large timber cornices carrying gutters and solid wall to the end gable. The roof is glazed in 3-pane sections with central purlin.

Interior

The interior has been altered twice, first when the access and planning were changed and secondly when the conservatory was added. (see History) The front door enters a cross passage with the long Drawing Room on the right and the stair to the rear left. The stair is very steep and very awkwardly placed, clearly demonstrating an alteration. The Drawing Room is a long rectangle comprising the whole of the north front made up from what originally was a room, the entrance hall and the staircase. The finish to the room is plain neo-classical as with the hallway, both of the early C20.
The conservatory is one unsupported space with decorative light iron roof trusses with a propeller motif in roundels.
The upper floors were not seen at resurvey.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special interest as a fine C18 country house with good later additions, including a fine conservatory.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q26267874

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

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  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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