Cors y Gedol Hall, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Gwynedd

History

A late sixteenth century gentry house, the earliest part of which was built in 1576 as a lateral chimney, storeyed house, a high-status example of a building-type favoured by the gentry of Meirionydd at that time. The ambitions of its owners continued to be reflected thereafter in a series of remodellings and extensions, beginning in 1592, and culminating in a major expansion of the house in the later nineteenth century under the auspices of its then owners, the Corbett family.
There was an earlier house of Cors y gedol, and though its precise location and form remain unknown, it was clearly already important by the later fifteenth century at least. By the early C16, this property was the seat of the Vaughan family, who had assembled a substantial estate by 1525 and who were prominent in the county from the C15 until the late C18 century. They traced their descent here from Osbwrn Gwyddel, who came from Ireland in the time of Llewelyn the Great, became governor of Harlech Castle, and is said to have married the heiress of Cors y gedol. Thus began an process of estate building, culminating in the building and progressive enlargement of the present house. Successive generations of Vaughans held high office in the counties of Merioneth and Caernarvon, both as sheriffs and members of Parliament. The estate passed to the Mostyn family in 1791, was sold in 1858 to the Corbett family, under whose patronage the house was doubled in size. The property was sold again in 1891 and 1908, and was for a time a school and a hostel. Acquired by the present owners in 1951.
The earliest part of the present house was built by Richard Vaughan, in 1576. The original 3-unit plan of hall with outer room beyond passage to west, and inner room to east, survives only in outline, since both inner and outer rooms were later substantially rebuilt, though the hall itself survives. Gruffudd and Katherine Vaughan added the storeyed porch in 1593, and the inner room was also remodelled at this time. The western unit was reconstructed in 1660 by William Vaughan (and remodelled again in the later C18 for Edward Lloyd Vaughan). At some time the original single pile range was extended to the rear, and perhaps by the early C18, a further range set back from and west of the original was added. This was itself extended to west and north-west in the nineteenth century. The history of the house is well-documented, not only in date-inscriptions, but also in written accounts: in one of these, Richard Vaughan (inherited, 1697, died 1734), was said to have modernised the house by thorough repair, including wainscotting and new flooring, replacing the old mullioned windows with sashes, and adding new rooms to the house. The interior panelling is very likely to be his wainscotting, and perhaps the gabled range in parallel with the hall, and the rear wing, provided his new rooms.
Cors y gedol played an important part in Welsh literary life even before the accession of the Vaughan family to the estate. From the later C15, the estate provided patronage to poets not only from Merioneth, but also from further afield. Later, William Vaughan (builder of the gatehouse) numbered Ben Johnson amongst his friends.

Exterior

Large multi-period gentry house. The historical core of the house is the SE range, which was successively extended to the rear, and to the NW. Roughly coursed rubble with large stones as dressings, and slate roofs throughout, with tall stone stacks with drip-stones and cappings.
Original range faces south: Externally it retains the form of a late C16 3-unit, storeyed house, though with gable end stacks in addition to the rear lateral chimney, and later storeyed porch presumably marking the position of the original entrance. To the right of the porch, 3 irregularly spaced stone mullioned and transomed windows light the hall and the inner room. Round-arched mullioned windows of 3 and 4 lights define the principal chamber above. Small hipped dormer over right-hand window breaking the eaves line and with 2-light timber casement window with round-headed lights; date stone below it with inscription in false relief; '15- GV - KV - 92'. Gable-end return has sash window with lattice glazing and a date-stone to the shaft of a shouldered chimney, 1610. Porch (1593) has good Renaissance detail including 4-centred arched doorway with drop-ended hood-mould, dated armorial panel and string course above, pedimented hood to first floor 3-light mullioned and transomed window, and cross finial at gable apex; stone mullioned and transomed windows with hood-moulds in lateral walls. Immediately to the left of the porch, on each floor a single sash window with octagonal small panes lights staircase. Date-stone with inscription 'V - 1660 - W M' records the remodelling of this range by William Vaughan. Beyond is a full-height canted bay, an addition dated 1782 with initials E.Ll.V esq., when this late C17 west unit was further reworked by Edward Lloyd Vaughan.
Set back to the NW of this range, an eighteenth century and later wing extends NW, its two principal phases distinguished by differences in the character of masonry, and in the size of the windows. The first 3 bays are C18, with trans-mullioned timber windows on each floor, and similar windows in the hipped roofed storeyed porch which occupies the angle with the rear of the original range. The C19 westwards extension is of 2 bays, with wider trans-mullioned windows, which flank a small doorway on the ground floor.
To the rear, the lateral stack of the original hall range is partially obscured by an irregular row of 3 gables (that to east with projecting stack), perhaps of early C18 date, with lean-to ground floor C19 additions. Small-paned hornless sash windows to first floor, and one trans-mullioned window to attic. Advanced from the western unit of the original block is a substantial wing, also of probable early C18 date, with small-paned sash windows in its east-facing elevation and gable end. Later single storeyed extension with tall gabled chimney beyond. This is abutted by a low C19 wing at the rear of the C18 NW range, probably added when this range was extended further west, and contemporary too with the long single storeyed north ball-room wing.

Interior

Original SE range retains elements of the layout of 1576: the hall itself survives intact, with dated lateral fireplace and fine ceiling with richly moulded cross beams and counter-changing joists. The arched fireplace has date and shield, and is inscribed 'Sequere justitiam et invenias vitam' in the arch. The wall panelling may be that added by Richard Vaughan in the early C18: raised fielded panels with bolection moulding. Similar panelling in eastern room, which otherwise represents the later C16 remodelling of the original inner room, and has a contemporary fireplace with engaged columns with long capitals flanking shallow archway. The principal chamber (Kings Room) on the first floor also belongs to the late sixteenth century, though also with early C18 panelling: over its fireplace is an ornate (reset) plaster overmantel bearing twin shields of arms dated 1592, and with the initials of Gruffudd and Katherine Vaughan. The western unit of this range was rebuilt in 1660, and perhaps the staircase is substantially of this date: it has heavily moulded closed string and rail, square panelled newels (with later heraldic finials), and turned balusters. The western unit owes its architectural character to a late C18 remodelling, with delicate plasterwork decorative schemes in the Adam style.
The NW wing includes a coloured plaster overmantel of the arms of Elizabeth I, perhaps reset from elsewhere in the original house. Characteristic C19 decorative detail to ball-room wing.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at grade II* as an exceptionally fine sub-medieval gentry house which gives clear architectural expression to the aspirations of its patrons, the Vaughan family, in the later C16 especially. Successive remodelling carried out in the C17 and C18 continued to carry the strong signature of this notable family. The result is a fine architectural display both externally, and in high quality interior detail. The house is the centre-piece of a designed landscape which also includes a remarkable series of secondary buildings which together form an ensemble of exceptional quality and interest.

External Links

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