History

Earlier to mid C19 villa, not apparently marked on 1845 Tithe map, but said to have been known as Elm Cottage and to have been built for Captain Lewis Davies c1815, who built Tanybwlch for himself in 1827, though it looks later. Said also to have been a dower house to Tanybwlch. Occupied during the 1914 -1918 war by Valerius de Saedeleer, Belgian painter of note, with his wife and family. He painted many works in his studio here, including views from and around the house . When he returned to Bruges he built a house called Ty'n y Lon, said to be a replica. Sold with Tanybwlch estate in 1937 to the present owner's family.

Exterior

Small country house in uncoursed squared rubble stone with tooled stone quoins. Two storeys with slate pyramid roof and distinctive red brick apex stack of 3 shafts with narrow arches between shafts and moulded brick cornice. Deep bracketed eaves, the brackets ornamented with acorn pendants. Four bay NW garden front and 2 bay SW entrance front. Mainly casement windows with side margins, full-length French windows to ground floor, all with shallow reveals, lightly cambered red brick heads and slate sills.
Entrance front to SW has 2 paired casements to first floor, ground floor left French window and big enclosed porch, like that at Bryneithin (Llanfarian) to right. Five-sided porch with shallow 5-sided slate roof and matching eaves. Pointed window to each canted side with coloured marginal panes to long single lights, door in timber doorcase with half-fluted pilasters, overlight with coloured marginal glazing, and double half-glazed doors each with Gothic glazing bars and coloured glass matching pointed lights. NW garden front has 2 ground floor large 4-light French windows divided as an opening pair with marginal glazing bars and a fixed small-paned side-light each side. First floor has 4 paired casements as on entrance front.
Rear NE 2-window range with matching windows.
SE end has lower 2-storey range set back from entrance front with rendered SE end stack and roof ridge hipped down a little at NW end to go under eaves of main house. Whitewashed SE gable end to road has canted rear angle, NE side has single 4-pane sash to first floor left over C20 lean-to garage.

Interior

Entrance porch has half-octagonal plate glass ceiling-light at apex of 5-sided ribbed vault with raised roll-mould stucco ribs. Pointed heads to diagonal windows and wide flattened open arch into stair hall. Similar depressed-arched heads to doorways throughout. Mainly 4-panelled timber doors. Fine open-well staircase with slim turned balusters, ramped handrail scrolled at foot, and bracketed tread ends. Stair hall has 4-sided domed ceiling with plain centre moulded ceiling rose, raised roll-mould ribs to angles continued to floor. Sitting room was de Saedeleer's studio with 1930s tiled fireplace, flattened arched head to alcove with shelving, panelled door recess, picture rail and plain stepped cornice. Bedroom has deep coved ceiling with florets at bases of corner ribs. Kitchen has flagged floor and large fitted painted pine dresser. Attached wing has former kitchen with bread oven and large range with timber overmantel,, maid's room to upper storey. Original well-pump survives.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a good earlier to mid C19 house of unusual quality and distinctive design retaining interior detail, and for associations with the Belgian painter Valerius de Saedeleer.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29505208

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings