History

The house was built in 1829 by the Rev. Richard Venables, Archdeacon of Carmarthen. It was much enlarged during the late C19, partly by S W Williams. The estate was inherited by Richard Venables' son, then by his grand-daughter, Katherine Minna Venables, who married Charles, son of Sir John Dilwyn Llewelyn of Penllergaer, South Wales. Further additions to the house followed. The house was reduced and remodelled in 1934 by Guy Elwes, when 2 large wings, of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, were taken down. Three full-height bows were added, including an art-deco porch bow to the garden front.

Exterior

Two-storey, square-plan house in free classical style. Rendered with continuous parapets under shallow slate-covered roofs, with 6 rendered stacks asymmetrically arranged. Detail includes hornless sash windows with flat heads and narrow recessed mouldings. The garden front, facing S, has a full-height Art Deco porch bow offset to the L with half-glazed double doors within a prominent rusticated surround. The doorway has a flat-arched head with voussoirs and keystone, above which is a key block supporting the lintel of the upper storey window. The rusticatation continues upwards around the window, tapering slightly. Above the window is a recessed panel between pilasters, within which is a stone coat of arms. The porch windows flanking the doorway are 9-over-9-pane sashes, whilst those to the upper storey are 6-over-6-pane. The garden front is 3-window to the L of the porch bow and 4-window to the R, the sash windows as in the bow. Above the upper storey windows to the R are recessed panels which continue to the copings of the parapets. Decorative cast iron rain water goods dated 1934.

The W side, also facing the garden, has half-glazed double doors to the centre with flanking side lights under an open flat-roofed porch supported on paired timber struts with horizontal bars. Above is a tripartite window. Flanking the doorway are full-height bows with pyramidal roofs and wide boarded eaves. These have 3 sash windows to each storey, all 6-over-6-pane, those to the ground floor almost full-height.

The E side of the house is advanced to the R with four 6-over-6-pane horned sash windows to the upper storey with segmental heads and recessed mouldings. A stack rises from the parapets between the 2 pairs. To the lower storey are 2 tall sashes as front, offset to the L. In the angle of the advanced section is a flat roofed porch with multi-pane glazed door and overlight facing S, and a sash window to the E. No openings to the L of the porch.

The current entrance is to the N (rear) side. To the R is a 3-window block with central panelled door under a flat porch canopy, with a small window to its L. The upper storey has 6-over-6-pane sashes. To the L is a long split-level range partly cut into the hillside. Half-glazed door leading to upper storey, with 2 sash windows to its R and 3 to L. Immediately R of the doorway is a half-glazed door to the lower level, reached by steps. Sashes of variable size to lower storey, and tall sash to E gable end of range. To the far L is the end wall of the E range with hipped roof.

Interior

Inside the W garden entrance is a large stair hall, also reached from the main N entrance. This has a C20 open-well staircase to the rear, of pale wood with narrow balusters and turned handrail. Rooms lead off from the stair hall, the reception rooms to the S. Panelled doors throughout, some with overlights, mainly C20 but some are C19 and from Penllergaer.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its architectural interest as a fine country house with C19 origins in a prominent position. The Art Deco remodelling is extremely rare in the country-house context of mid-Wales.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29501519

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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