History

The house was built in the late C16 and much of the fabric of the central part of the long north-south range is of this date; the corridor to the rear and the projecting gables to the front belong to the c1800 remodelling, as does the gabled range to rear on south; the gabled range to rear on north, linked to the south rear range by the corridor is a later C19 addition. The house was the home of the Rowlands family, several of whom are commemorated in St Michael's Church, from the late C18 to the C20; one of the family's most distinguished members was Sir Hugh Rowlands V.C., the first Welshman to receive the Victoria Cross, who died in 1909, having spent much money improving the Estate at Plas Tirion.

Exterior

Original short 4-bay range, aligned roughly north-south, with later additions forming H-plan house of 2 storeys to front (west). Roughly coursed rubblestone, formerly rendered to front and with extensive traces of limewash remaining to rear; slate roofs with moulded coping to parapet and projecting gables on front. This is of 1:4:1 bays; windows all early C19 Gothick sashes with stained glass heads and slate cills, paired in 24 panes to centre on first floor and wider in 36 panes to gables; ground floor of gables has triple sashes in 81 panes; ground floor of central range has slate-slab roofed verandah supported by 5 cast-iron columns, 3 left (north ) bays with 36-paned sashes, fourth bay with narrow 12-paned window as left side light to Tudor-arched doorway with spandrels. Right (south) gable has dummy cross-shaped gun-loop to apex. Central range has 2 late C20 rooflights behind parapet to left and rendered ridge stack to right. Blank gable ends have substantial integral stacks with rendered shafts. Asymmetrical rear elevation has 20-paned sash to first floor and 24-paned sash to ground floor of left gable; section to right has tall multi-paned latticed staircase window high in wall to left and 4-paned sashes on each floor to right, linking to right gable which has 4-paned sashes on main floors with small 2-paned sash window to attic; return of gable has 12-paned sash on first floor in angle with full-height lean-to projection to right; this has 4-paned window to upper level. Late C20 flat-roofed porch approached by steps projects in angle between gable and main range/lean-to, with to its right a C20 casement window on each floor.

Interior

Good largely early C19 interior has stone flag entrance hall to right (south) of ridge stack with moulded plaster cornice and panelled reveals to tall staircase window; staircase (c1800) is of dog-leg type but cantilevered across window; plain moulded handrail with clustered bottom newel and stick balusters, 2 to each carved tread. Room to right has moulded cornice and picture rail; boarded floor and carved slate fireplace (c1890); small room behind; room to left (north) of entrance hall is probably the C16 parlour and has cornice and 2 boxed cross beams; corridor behind has nail-studded plank door to end and straight-flight staircase with turned balusters to first floor, continuing as an enclosed staircase to attic, which has 2 massive A-frame trusses visible to original short main range and king-post trusses to C19 additions. Extensive cellars to north end of the house have slate floors; large slate-slab water tank and massive fireplace with plain slate-slab surround to end stack; this part of the cellar was formerly the kitchen.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a substantial house of late C16 origins, remodelled c1800 in Gothick style and retaining many fine features of this date.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29499477

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

• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)