History

Gentry house of c1700 with possible earlier origins. The house was remodelled in Tudorbethan style c1830 by the second Lord Bagot, owner of the Pool Park estate (which included Rhyd-y-Cilgwyn). Pool Park itself was rebuilt in Neo-Elizabethan style between 1826-9 to designs by John Buckler, who also worked at the Bagot's chief seat, Blithfield Park, Staffordshire. It is therefore probable that Buckler was responsible for the remodelling of Rhyd-y-Cilgwyn. The scale and sophistication of the house suggests that Bagot had some special use in mind, perhaps as his agent's house. Following the Second World War the house underwent comprehensive restoration, which included the application of the present rough-cast finish and the probable replacement of the C19 iron-framed lattice windows with wooden copies.

Exterior

Storeyed gentry house of roughcast rubble construction under a slate roof. Central chimneys, each with 4 grouped octagonal stacks; of brick with moulded sandstone cappings. The house consists of a two-and-a-half storey H-plan main block with a one-and-a-half storey L-shaped service wing adjoining to the R. The former has a symmetrical facade of 3 large bays, with a central, recessed entrance bay between flanking gabled wings; oversailing eaves and deep verges with moulded bargeboards and geometric wooden finials. Single-storey, flat-roofed entrance hall, extruded in the central bay between the wings. This has an oak balustrade with turned balusters. Central entrance to this, with steps up from the sides and contained within an open porch projection with flat lead roof and dentilated oak cornice. The roof has sloping leaded parapets to each face in Chinoiserie style, and has 3 surmounting lead pineapple finials, said to have come from Pool Park. The front of the porch structure is formed from sections of a fine second-quarter C17 stair, possibly also from the early Pool Park. These elements consist of 4 oak newel posts with geometric finials, and 3 sections of staircase balustrading; carved, shaped and pierced balusters. C19 four-panel door, the upper 2 panels glazed. Tudorbethan square wooden cross-windows to the ground and first floors. The mullions and transoms of these are in fact placed decoratively in front of the glazing and form no part of it; instead, the windows are in effect 16-pane unhorned sashes. 3-light wooden mullions to the upper windows with wooden latticed glazing; tooled and dressed limestone lintels. The central, recessed section has a large gabled dormer to its attic floor, with 3-light latticed window.

The L (S) side has a first-floor rectangular oriel window with blind 3-light mullioned and transomed window; narrow flanking 6-pane, part-opening casements. The ground floor has a modern conservatory addition along its full length, within which are 2 glazed C20 outer doors. The rear elevation has a projecting cross-gable to the L and a flush corresponding gable to the R. Asymmetrical openings with cross-windows and C20 casements as before. Glazed (small-pane) door to the L and C20 French windows to the return wall of the cross-wing. The attic floor has a garret dormer, as before, with 8-pane casement.

The service wing has a 4-bay front with three tripartite wooden windows to the ground floor, each with 6-pane sections; C20 lattice window to the far R. The upper floor has two 3-light mullioned windows with lattice glazing as before, contained within large shallow gabled dormers.

Interior

Plain C19 entrance hall with stairwell leading off and drawing and dining rooms flanking. Full-height c1700 oak dog-leg stair, with elegant columnar balusters, square newels and original treads and risers. In the attic is a contemporary 2-panel fielded door; this is re-used and is ex-situ. The dining room has medium-field mid or third-quarter C17 oak panelling to two of its walls, and re-used sections of earlier C17 small-field oak panelling to the dado of the remainder. Set into the former, above the (modern) fireplace, are 2 narrow panels of late C16 renaissance relief carving. The upper panel has a central cartouche with the arms of the Salesbury family (of Bachymbyd, Rug and Pool Park); the lower panel has foliate decoration with an applied early painted text band, with moralising inscription. These sections are likely to have come from either Bachymbyd or Pool Park, both owned by the Bagots in the C19, and were probably incorporated during the remodelling of the house c1830.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special interest as an 1820s Tudor-style house associated with John Buckler's Pool Park estate improvements, retaining good external character, and for the interest of its earlier origins as a c1700 gentry house.

Group value with other listed items at Rhyd-y-Cilgwyn.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29499398

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

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets