History

Ancient and chief seat of the Anwyls, one of the most notable families of Meirionedd in the Tudor and Stuart periods. A junior branch of the Clenneny family, they were settled at Parc by at least the mid C16 and possibly earlier. Robert ap Morris (d.1576) was responsible for the first of a series of unit-planned ranges which, by the late C17 comprised a large complex of 4 domestic blocks and a gatehouse, as well as associated stable and agricultural ranges. Robert's grandson, William Lewis Anwyl was the first of the family to hold the office of High Sheriff (Meirionedd 1610 and 1623, and Caernarvonshire 1636). He is known to have greatly extended Parc in the early C17 and his will (he died in 1641) mentions the newly-built plas. A cywydd by the poet Huw Machno speaks of 'his new house of great construction,' as well as mentioning gardens, orchards, walls, parks and 'fair towers.' It is likely that the primary house was rebuilt or remodelled during this period and that the second, third and fourth ranges (Parc 2,3 and 4) were also fully or partly his work. It is similarly possible that the gatehouse belongs to this early C17 phase, although it may have undergone some later C17 alteration, including the insertion of the attic dormers. The gatehouse would have been the porter's private accommodation and appears always to have been storeyed with one room to each floor, the upper one open to the roof; a blocked first-floor hillslope entrance probably relates to a later (C18 or C19) loading bay.

Exterior

Small one-and-a-half storey rectangular building of rubble construction, set into the steep slope of the hill. Graded slate roof with slab-coped and kneelered gable parapets; squat end chimney to S gable with moulded capping and weathercoursing. Gabled dormer windows to both roof pitches with kneelered and slab-coped gable parapets; modern windows to primary openings. Whitened entrance front (W) with angled entry and boarded door to low, partly sub-terranean modern extension at L. 6-pane casement to ground floor with blocked original opening at L. Similar window to rear, and two small, square windows to the upper S gable. A modern rubble terrace wall adjoins to the W.
Adjoining the gatehouse to the rear (NW), and continuing uphill for some 50m, is a dry-built boulder-rubble boundary wall, probably of C17 origin. This terminates at the upper drive and is contemporary with the boulder-built enclosing wall to the NW of the Parc complex.

Interior

Single-room floors, the upper floor open to the roof. Slate-stone steps to this at L of entrance with re-used C17 balustrading; flagged ground floor. 2-bay pegged oak collar truss roof with original purlins.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* for its exceptional interest as a surviving C17 gatehouse and as part of the important sub-medieval unit-planned developement at Parc.
Group Value with other listed items at Parc.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17738599

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

• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair