History

Medieval with later additions. Built as a court house in the C14 on a burgage plot next to the S gate of Caerphilly Castle. The court was previously held inside the gatehouse. Repairs were undertaken to the roof by the Lord of Glamorgan in 1429. Originally 2 unit and single storey with central passage and entrance to rear. Raised to 2 storeys, and wings added to each end: W wing is late C17, E wing C19. A home of the Price family who also lived at Plas Watford. Now a Public House.

Exterior

Long 2-storey range. Roughcast with steep, stone-tiled roof. Two squat rendered ridge stacks, and end stack to L. Central gabled porch with bargeboards, probably C20, and planked door. Four windows to each storey, irregularly placed: 3 windows to L of entrance (the central one converted from a door) and 1 to R. Four-pane sash windows of various sizes, some horned, mainly with raised surrounds and under flat heads, those in the upper storey rising to the eaves. In the upper storey, 3 windows symmetrically placed above door and flanking windows and 1 window to far L. Small lean-to on L front. W gable end has 1 window. Two small lean-tos to E gable end with window above. Single-storey ranges with hipped roofs continue round to rear from E end. They include 2 late C20 glazed 2-storey pavilions.

Interior

The current entrance with symmetrical flanking windows is probably C19, and leads to a large room incorporating the units of the medieval court house. Large stack to L with back-to-back fireplaces, probably C17. The fireplace in the main room has a timber lintel and a small recess with stone lintel on its L side. Bar to rear, small fireplace to R with timber lintel, and toilet block beyond. The W room is C17 and has fireplace to E with timber lintel, possibly replaced. A doorway, now converted to a window, is opposite the stack and would have formed a lobby entrance. To the rear of the stack is a passage with the remnants of a fireplace staircase. Window in W gable end is infill of former fireplace. The 1st floor is cut-away in the W room revealing lap-jointed collar trusses with tie beams supported on short ties. The main range is said to have trusses consisting of low collars dovetail-lap jointed to the rafters and short braces.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its origins as a C14 court house, the layout of which is still discernible. Good C17 and C19 detail.

Group value with Caerphilly Castle.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• The Court House official website
• Wikidata Q29491605

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.

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