History

Estate was owned by the Harries family from medieval times to 1830, then sold; owned by Richard Llewelyn 1841 (Tithe Map), bought back by Harries family 1877, and sold again. Ballroom is where Capt. T Knox was dancing when the news of the French invasion of 22 Feb 1797 was received.

Exterior

Early to mid C18 gentry house extended to rear and at N end in later C18. Colourwashed roughcast with slate roofs, two storeys, L-plan. Earlier C18 6-window front with narrow 8-pane sashes, end stacks and door in third bay. 5-panel door, top panel glazed, in hipped porch with elliptical arch and double doors. Shorter 5-window rear range, hipped to SW, late C18 or early C19, but possibly incorporating part of an earlier stair tower. 12-pane sashes and off-centre arched stair light, with small-pane glazing. S end is added hipped one-window range with door below and 12-pane sash above.

North Wing: N end later 5-window C18 wing with service rooms below a single large ballroom. Hipped roof, end-wall stacks, very long upper 15-pane sashes and short 12-pane sashes below. Door in second bay.

Farm Wing: Attached to W end is single-storey farm wing, rendered with ridge stack and C20 windows and W end outbuilding with half-hipped gable.

Interior

Original range has oak collar-beam trusses to roof, rear range has 6-bay pine roof with close-spaced collar trusses. Earlier range has two low-ceilinged rooms to ground floor, 2-window to left with C19 marble fireplace, 3-window to right with two elliptical-arched recesses on rear wall and C19 slate fireplace with c1880 T Jeckyll grate. Panelled shutters to both rooms, 6-panel doors. Early to mid C18 hall arch, fluted with keystone, originally to stair behind but the stair is now one bay to right. A similar arch remains in the corridor of the floor above. Present stair-hall to right has late C18 or early C19 detail to arched window. Dog-leg stair with close-spaced stick balusters and thick ramped rail (possibly early C18 reused). To N is former kitchen, and opposite concealed in wall is narrow stair to attic.

Ballroom wing has reinforced tie-beams to support floor above. Large and plain ballroom with panelled shutters, fireplace at right end only, though originally at both ends.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* on account of internal features and historic importance for the area.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover