History

Penyclawdd Court lies within the bailey of the former Penyclawdd Castle, the mound of which is immediately to the NW of the house; that site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The house seems to have started as a three unit and cross-passage late medieval one, dating probably from the early C16, and possibly largely timber framed, but the whole house was very extensively re-modelled in the early C17 (1610-25) when the taller wing with the stair tower was added and probably the kitchen wing as well, although this may be older and have been re-furbished in the C17. There has been little alteration since the C17, with some re-furbishhment in the C19, but the windows and much of the interior have been returned to the C17 during the present re-furbishment (1984-97). This has included some stonework repairs, especially on the knot garden elevation, and the replacement of all the oak windows.

Exterior

Built of roughly squared and coursed red sandstone rubble, with some timber framing revealed internally; with stone slate, concrete tile imitating stone and Welsh slate roofs. The house is in three main sections (see History). The entrance range is rectangular, it has a taller Stuart T-shaped section added to the left end, and a kitchen wing forming an L at the rear right. The oldest section is two storeys, the Stuart wing two storeys and attic, the kitchen wing is two storeys.
The garden elevation has four windows, 1:1:2, the left hand bay projects as a gabled wing, then a later section where a part of the original was reconstructed for incorporation in the larger house, then two bays with a central doorway which is the original build. Most windows are 4-light oak mullioned with hollow (reserved) chamfers, all these are post 1984 reproduction. The first floor window in the wing is a 4-light stone mullioned one with a dripmould, and in the gable above a 2-light similar. The front door to the cross-passage is a C17 nailed plank one with strap hinges, the bottom of the door has been replaced, dripmould over. Tall stack with four diagonal set shafts at the junction of the wing and the main range, and a large square stack built onto the end gable of the main range. These roof slopes are covered with concrete tiles.
To the left of the gable the elevation has a projecting stair tower with a catslide roof. This has a 3-light window on the half landing. To the right of the tower there is a cellar window with a 3-light window above it and a 4-light stone window above that. The roof slope above this is covered in Welsh slate.
The elevation to the knot garden is similar to the garden elevation. On the right is the gabled end to the wing with 3 and 4-light oak mullioned windows. The gable is crowned by a paired diagonal set stack. To the left of this is a higher roofed section with a 3-light oak window on each floor. Then comes the hall bay with a 4-light window on each floor, then the door to the cross-passage. Five of these windows have introduced stone lintels.
To the left of this is a three bay kitchen wing projects. This is two storeys and attic with 3-light oak mullioned windows. Large new lateral stack between windows 2 and 3 and porch with lean-to roof to right of this. The gable end has an attic window with drip over.
The entrance elevation has a doorway to the kitchen wing cross-passage, to the right of this is a modern lean-to. To the left the gable end of the original wing has the new stack with small stair window to the right of that. All these slopes are covered in real stone tiles.

Interior

The interior is largely C17 in character, although some of this has been re-created during 1984-97. The cross-passage has post-and-panel screens on both sides, each with a plank door. The Dining Room to the right and the Sitting Room to the left have ceiling beams with bar-and-run-out stops and fireplaces with chamfered stone lintels, flagstone floors. Winder stairs to the left of Dining Room fireplace. Grand stair in short straight flights round central pier in the Stuart wing. This has solid oak steps carrying stone treads. At least one timber framed partition wall is visible on the upper floor. Several good bedrooms with chamfered ceiling beams. The principal upper room is the 'Court Room', entered directly off the main stair. This has a shaped door-head, a compartmented ceiling, a fireplace with moulded surround, and higher status stone windows. Principal rafter roofs with trenched purlins and diagonally set ridge pieces; the roof of the Stuart wing also has queen struts. The ground floor of the kitchen wing was not seen at resurvey (April 1997).

Reasons for Listing

Listed graded I as an exceptionally fine regional Tudor and Stuart manorial house.

Adjacent to Scheduled Ancient Monument Mm145 (Mon).

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Pen-y-clawdd Court at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17741374

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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