Treffgarne Hall, Wolfscastle (Cas-blaidd), Pembrokeshire

History

Country house of 1824 built for David Evans. Land owned previously by Evans family, and an earlier house may be incorporated in the rear wing. David Evans (d 1841), his widow Bridget of Ciliauwen, Llanstinan, (d 1857), daughter Elizabeth (d1865) and third son, David, of Ciliauwen (d 1878) and Evan Higgon of Ciliauwen (d 1855) all buried in Evans of Ciliauwen burial enclosure at Treffgarne church. Memorials also to John Evans died in 1893. and his wife Eliza in 1894. Occupied in 1926 by Victor Higgon (owner of Sealyham in 1920), High Sheriff in 1931. The form of the house with projected outer bays and entry on the end wall to a passage behind the main rooms has some similarity to Scolton Manor, by William Owen of 1840.

Exterior

Country house, squared rubble sandstone of purple to green colour, with slate close-eaved hipped roofs and two stone ridge stacks. Two storeys, five-window S front divided 1-3-1 bays, the outer ones very slightly projected with hipped roofs. Twelve-pane sashes with purple stone voussoirs and tooled stone or slate sills. Some original hornless sashes, others replaced. The fourth window altered to a French window. Two-bay E end with door in purple stone porch, of 2 tapering square piers with chamfered bases, neck rings, and ogee-moulded plain capitals, the capitals renewed in cement. Moulded cornice to flat roof. Slate flags, heavily panelled 2-panel door and overlight with marginal glazing bars. W end of 2 bays, blank window to first floor left, ground floor has casement-pair each side of glazed door, all with purple stone voussoirs. Inserted C20 window to left. Short N return has ground floor window with cut stone voussoirs. Main rear wall has plaque 'Erected in the year 1824 by Dd Evans' between 2 centre bays which have 12-pane sashes to first floor and doors with tall overlights below, the right door with altered head, the others with purple stone voussoirs. Big pointed stair light to left with small-paned glazing and tiny roundel in brick surround to extreme left, at landing level. To extreme right, in angle to rear wing is long stair light with stone slab lintel and 12 panes in pairs. Projected stone eaves course stopped just short of NE corner, indication possibly of a building built in stages.
Long NW rear wing of three storeys to similar roof height and large stone N end stack. Three-window E side has projected stone eaves, and red brick cambered heads to openings, 6-pane attic lights, the centre one blank, 12-pane first floor windows, the right one blank, and ground floor has glazed door set to left and paired 8-pane narrow sashes in first bay, both in original openings with brick voussoirs, centre similar paired 8-pane sashes and right French window both in openings remade in C20 to match. N end outside stairs to loft door with brick head. Rear W has brick wall-face chimney set to right of centre, first floor 12-pane sash to right and paired narrow 8-pane sashes to left. Ground floor has 12-pane sash under left window, and door to left, all with brick heads. Also inserted window to extreme left with timber lintel and pair of 8-pane sashes to centre.
Entrance forecourt to E of main house is enclosed by a rubble stone L-plan wall running N from NE corner and returning E with cambered-headed archway between squared stone piers, the parapet dipped between piers. Cut stone voussoirs to arch. The walls were ramped up each side of the archway, but wall to E has been raised to flat top.

Interior

Interior much repaired and altered in later C20 when used as a hotel. Unusual plan with spine corridor but two staircases of roughly equal scale. The NE stair with Gothic stair window is said to have been largely remade in later C20, but has scrolled tread-ends, thin mahogany rail scrolled at foot and wrought iron standards between stick balusters that look original, iron standards said to have been retrieved from an outhouse. The stair hall is said to have included at one time the SE ground floor room, but this has an original panelled door in plaster wall to present stair hall. Original panelled shutters. Plaster rose to stair hall ceiling, and another to first floor SE room. Panelled doors and shutters.
Spine passage has renewed ceiling borders. 2 small rooms to N, and door with deep reveal to main centre room to S, both this and one door to small N room are fielded 6-panel doors of older type than the other doors, which have Regency type sunk panels. Fielded panelled reveals also to door to S room. This has original plaster reeded ceiling border with square rosettes in corners. W fireplace has later C19 iron grate. Timber mantelpiece with long brackets to ground and bracketted shelf, possibly replaced in C20. Corridor opens into W stair hall. Stair here appears largely C20, closed string, square balusters and thick rail. At top of first flight is a tall narrow wall recess that suggests an older building altered, perhaps a flue. Long stair light is set into corner of stair, with canted reveals, again suggesting alteration in this area. Off stair hall, Regency door of exceptional height to SW room, 2 doors to small rooms in W wall, one original 6-panel and original 6-panel door to N to kitchen wing. SW room is all later C20, no fireplace, 2 recesses on E wall.
Kitchen wing has been altered to one long room on ground floor in later C20. Big timber lintel to N end fireplace.

Reasons for Listing

Included, notwithstanding some C20 alterations, for its architectural interest as a late Georgian country house.

External Links

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