History

A building of apparently medieval and early C16 origins, and some of the rubble walling seems to survive from then, but it was altered in the C17 and C18 and its external appearance and all features are almost entirely early/mid C19 and later. Its overall character is of a Tudor Revival of c1840 which has been overlaid by many changes made necessary by the upgrading of the building to a late C20 hotel. It is said to have been built on the site of a Cistercian priory of probably C12 date. It was a private house of the Morgan family from 1450 to 1835 and has been a hotel since the mid C20.

Exterior

The building is constructed of local red sandstone conglomerate rubble with freestone dressings and with Welsh slate roofs with red brick chimneys. It has an extremel rambling plan which is very difficult to interpret and the main street elevation (north west) is a considerable distance from the garden elevation (south west). The buildings are two storeys throughout. The street elevation, from the left: a gabled section with a wing going back, this has two 2-light windows on the ground floor and a 3-light one above, all Tudor type with pointed heads to the lights and label moulds. There is a plinth and quoins to the left and the gable is outlined, pediment like, in stone, and there are kneelers and a moulded capstone to the gable. The left hand return has a 2-light window visible on the upper floor, the ground floor is hidden by the rubble wall which connects the building to No 32 High Street (qv). This wall contains a blocked doorway on the end in red brick. The next section is a two bay one with a 2-light window on each floor to the left and the entrance to the right. This has a stone framed square headed doorway below and a stone framed 3-light oriel above, this has a parapet rising above the eaves. Low pitch roof, with a 3-flue stack on the junction with the wing to the left and a single flue one in the rear slope. To the right again is a five window range along the street with the windows placed randomly, apart from the four furthest to the right. All windows are 2-light as before, but they vary in size and only the ground floor ones have label moulds. The roof pitch is different and the ridge higher than the previous range. Next comes a long range which is blind apart from a single introduced 2-light window, plain roof with a massive chimney stack. There are also indications of blocked openings. This range was the stables (and was previously listed together with the boundary wall qv) but it has now been incorporated into the hotel as a range of bedrooms.
The garden elevation, from the right: a gabled wing with a 4-light timber mullion and transom oriel over a similar window. Then comes a single bay range with the roof in line with the elevation. This has a 3-light mullion and transom casement below and above, and a 6 over 3 pane sash in the left return of this range. Then comes a single gabled bay with a modern 2-light window above and below, the upper one has a small, possibly Tudor, niche to the right of it. The left return of this has a huge lateral stack with four tall brick flues, these are set on the diamond and panelled, the fourth and largest is on the square. Next comes a parallel range set back, with the hotel entrance and a small paned casement on the ground floor and three casements above, all these are late C20 joinery; massive lateral stack entirely hidden by creeper. Next comes the long lower range, previously the stables now bedrooms. Nine bays, doors and windows below, windows above, 2 and 3-light casements all late C20, massive ridge stack.

Interior

The street entrance reaches a vaulted passage which goes round a once open courtyard, now roofed above the ground floor. This has small traceried windows in 4-centred heads and these have painted heraldic windows. The vaulted passage is early C19 but the windows could be Tudor. To the left is a room to the front which has a Tudor fireplace and oak panelling which could be c1600. The staircase is of an early C18 closed string open well form with a moulded walnut handrail but it seems to have been reconstructed with a Gothic balustrade in the early Victorian period. The staircase is lit by a 5-light mullion and transom window with a stained glass picture of Roman Caerleon. The bar and reception area of the hotel is almost completely replanned and decorated as part of the late C20 hotel alteration. The upper stair hall is roofed by a semi-dome with bossed ribs in a late C18 or early C19 Gothic manner. The upper corridor also surrounds the small internal courtyard with windows looking on to the roof. None of the roof structures were seen at resurvey.

Reasons for Listing

Included as an early C19 Tudor Revival house with earlier origins, but retaining significant historic character and having strong group value with the surrounding historic buildings in the centre of Caerleon.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29482929

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)