History

Early C19 with chamber built above in later C19. Bedwellty House was rebuilt in 1825 by the Merthyr Ironmaster, Samuel Homfray of Penydarren, who had purchased the site from the Morgans of Tredegar Park. Additions made before 1842 by Homfray’s son, who became manager of the Tredegar Ironworks. From the mid C19, the house was again the property of the Morgan family, who reserved it for the managers of the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company: one manager was R.P.Davies, whose wife initiated the building of the town clock 1858-59. In 1901, the Morgans gave the house and grounds to the people of Tredegar for public recreation. The icehouse was probably built for Samuel Homfray, the later room above said to have been built as a private chapel, the bellcote added in 1876.

Exterior

T-plan single storey building of randomly coursed local rubble with yellow brick detail, including long quoins. Slate roof with wide eaves. N range has small brick chimney to E end, and (rebuilt) yellow brick bellcote to W. Bell was cast at Tredegar Ironworks in 1837, and hung at former school. W end has round-arched window opening with boarded door. N door with round-arched head and boarded door set in iron frame. Lower gabled S wing has S-facing round-arched window with altered glazing. S wing contains entry to ice chamber.

Interior

Simple stone-flagged interior to upper chamber with opening in centre over ice-chamber. Cast-iron fireplace. The domed ice chamber is lined with yellow brick, and tapers down towards the drain. Access is via a tunnel, the entrance to which is effected by a rise in ground level.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a remarkable survival of an ice-house with former chapel above. Group value with Bedwellty House.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29482110

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

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)