History

Country house in picturesque castellated style, built 1833 for Reginald Fourden, a Lancashire cotton mill owner on an earlier site; it is possible that part of a previous building is
incorporated. The site was originally called Pwllarthog; a Lewis Williams, Gent of Pwllarthog is mentioned in 1732 and was buried in Llangelynin church in 1737. Major restoration after a fire in
1942 and now partly converted into separate accomodation.

Exterior

2 storeys with rubble elevations and slate roofs; off-centre rubble chimney, cylindrical with square cap and base, and square end chimneys to L and R with moulded capping. The main, front range has 3 transverse hipped roofs concealed to front behind a high crenellated parapet. Symmetrical 5-bay front with broad central bay flanked by D-shaped bowed projections. 12-pane slightly-recessed sash windows shallow Gothick heads with voussoirs and labels; similar head to central first-floor 2-light casement window with marginal and diamond-pattern glazing bars. Gothick half-glazed double doors under a later canopy on iron clustered columns, formerly a porch and balcony. Cross-range to the R joins the continuation of the longitudinal rear range and to SW at a splayed angle runs a stepped 2-storey service range, part whitewashed to ground floor. This has a boarded door at the angle with the main block; open entrance to R of this with flanking unglazed and modern windows. Large cart entrance to R of this with concrete lintel. The range steps down to the R to become single storey; window and 2 boarded doors, that to the R deeply recessed. New slate roof and boarded upper gable; rubble lean-to with plastic roof and adjoining to the NW a section of stone-capped rubble wall with an open round-arched entrance.

The greater part of the 7-bay rear is 2 storey with overhanging eaves and mostly small pane sash windows. Steps down to central recessed doors and further, later doorways to R and to extreme
ends to cottages called Cader and Diffwys. That to the former is contained within a lean-to bay to the extreme R; the other 2 entrances are raised up and are approached by 3 curved slate steps, those to Diffwys original.

Attached to the rear of the service range, a 2-storey, 2-window cottage of rubble and slate with plain end stack to L with capping and weather coursing; stone eaves cornice. Round arched entrance to L with projecting key and imposts and slate voussoirs; boarded stable door with 5-pane semi-circular fan. To the R and above 4-pane casement windows with round-arched heads as before and fans to smaller, upper ones. Plain fan to ground floor window, formerly an entrance; plain 4-pane casement to R of this. Cusped bargeboards to SW gable end, the eaves cornice returned around this side. Modern porch incorporated into longer rear roof pitch.

Interior

The interior was severely damaged by fire but formerly had a full-height galleried hall.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a small-scale country house in picturesque castellated style in a commanding location.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29493326

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)