History

Probably contemporary with the 1840's enlargement and remodelling of Hensol Castle which was carried out by T H Wyatt and D Brandon, architects of London. This work was commissioned by the industrialist Rowland Fothergill, who bought the estate in 1838.

Hensol castle has late C17th/earlyC18th origins. The estate passed to the Talbot family and the house was remodelled circa 1735, in an early Picturesque-Gothic manner; after 1790 it was greatly extended continuing the Gothic style. In 1815 it was bought by Benjamin Hall, the industrialist and politician. It was then leased to, and later bought by, the ironmaster William Crawshay, before being bought by Rowland Fothergill, another ironmaster, in 1838 after which time the Wyatt sand Brandon works were carried out. After 1927 the house and extensive park was converted into a mental hospital.

Exterior

Tudor Gothic lodge in a less picturesque style than that of Hensol Castle but almost certainly by the same architects. Possible influence of John Nash whose much publicised 'Cottage style' buildings had become models for individual small scale dwellings and lodges to landscaped parks. Single storey and attic scribed stucco, crossplan building with very wide boarded eaves below a later tiled roof; bargeboards also renewed; enormous stone finial to front and rendered chimneys. Four-centred and square-headed openings with correspondingly varied use of dripmoulds; bracketed cornice to front attic window. Symmetrical main front to south has projecting 2-storey porch to centre with 3-light window over blind shield and four centred doorway; modern door; blocked slit windows high up on return walls. Outer windows are cross frame. Broad projecting gables to West and East side with splayed bay windows; ground windows at rear on both sides have bracketed cornices. Low hipped extension to rear.

Low stone boundary wall with contemporary iron railings ornamented with Gothic finials and barley twist spearheads to base. Swept in towards the drive and with stone end pier and Gothic cusped buttress at right end.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as a distinctive mid C19th lodge to a fine landscaped park and for its associations with Hensol Castle.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29491537

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

• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
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  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)