History

Early C19. House was re-built for the Lloyd family, owners since the C17, either for David Lloyd (1748-1822) or John Lloyd (d 1841) and passed by marriage to John Lloyd Davies of Blaendyffryn (d 1860). In later C19 owned by Captain J Stewart (1830-1908). Estate was the sixth largest in the county in 1873. Detailing of house looks c1820 but there are signs of a vertical division in the N end wall suggesting 2 phases of building.

Exterior

Large country house in style of John Nash. Roughcast and colourwashed rubble stone with hipped slate roofs and 2 big axial rendered stacks. Paired brackets to timber flat eaves. Three storeys, even 7-window front, originally of 12-pane sashes to main floors and 9-pane to attic, mostly now late C19 plate glass. Centre arched first-floor French window over broad ground-floor portico with paired Roman Doric outer columns and single half-column responds, cornice with paired modillions and flat roof. Plain architrave to small half-glazed double doors. Windows have stone sills. End elevations are 3-window with windows lighting centre and rear, mostly retaining glazing bars. Rear has very large arched centre stair light with late C19 leaded lights; one window range to left and gabled lower projection to right with arched door and fanlight and blank arched opening above.

Rear courtyard: Low rear court in pink-washed roughcast with hipped roofs and lean-to verandahs on cast-iron columns, verandah removed across rear range, and W range raised a storey in later C19 in rubble stone with 12-pane sashes. Rear court is very similar to John Nash's Llanayron design. At rear NE angle a massive ashlar stack to former bakehouse, and behind rear range, a 2-storey pyramid roofed bell-tower with timber lantern and wide through arch.

Interior

Formal symmetrical rooms with much attractive plasterwork. Entrance hall has double doors with fanlight though a stair hall, doors each end and Greek cornice of triglyphs and rosettes. Doorcases are of reeded pilaster type. SW drawing room has wood Adam-style fireplace, fine early C19 grate and original full-length mirror in frame matching doorcases. NW room is plainer but with mid C19 black Gothic fireplace. Thick spine wall means that door with fanlight from entrance hall is repeated on stair hall side. Moulded stair hall cornice, then broad panelled elliptical arch on consoles to broad open-well stair. Timber with stick balusters. From stair hall, spine corridor with matching doorcases leading N to kitchen area and S to ballroom. Ballroom has cornice, elliptical arched recesses each end, flanked by matching doorcases or cupboard recesses. Small C18 style fireplace on inner wall not original.

Stair window has late C19 stained glass with Stewart arms. Stair hall has first-floor modillion cornice and centre rose. Similar elliptical arch to upper landing, which has fine cornice moulding on 3 sides and arched doorcases leading off. Spine corridor and axial passage to arched front centre window. Some good early C19 iron fire grates to first floor rooms.

Service court has kitchen at SW angle, formerly with fireplace wood surround dated 1827, but there is some external evidence that courtyard may be later than original house.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as the largest and most monumental country house in this part of Cardiganshire/Carmarthenshire.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743908

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

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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
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  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
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  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
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  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)