Sealyham, Wolfscastle (Cas-blaidd), Pembrokeshire

History

Country house rebuilt in earlier C19 for Tucker-Edwardes family, probably including an earlier house. John Tucker recorded in 1560. Admiral Thomas Tucker of Sealyham (d1766), also owned Hook at Ambleston from 1747. He captured the pirate Blackbeard. Succeeded by his nephew John Tucker (d 1794), whose daughter Catherine married John Owen Edwardes of Llanmilo, Carms. The family then took the name Tucker-Edwardes. William Tucker Edwardes died in 1858. Capt J.O. Tucker-Edwardes (d 1891) first bred Sealyham terriers here. Owned in early C20 by Victor Higgon, who sold it in 1920, re-opened as King Edward VII Welsh National Tuberculosis Hospital in 1923, sold in 1970 and 1988, since used as an activity-holiday centre.
Called in 1833 an elegant modernised mansion. A description for letting in 1831 giving dimensions of rooms suggests that the house was then complete. Within the roofs there are indications of several phases of building, massive chimney masonry in front range, a wall between the rear range and the staircase that may have been external, a change of roof over the staircase, also the staircase does not accord with an 1820s date, more probably mid to later C18.

Exterior

Country house, white-painted roughcast, with slate hipped deep-eaved roofs, 2 parallel ranges, the valley over-roofed in late C20. Large rendered chimneys with raised angles at left end and on ridge to right of centre on front range and on ridge to right of rear range. Front is of 9 bays and 3 storeys, the bays divided 3-3-3, the two outer sections with 12-pane sashes to main floors, all with stucco cornices on brackets and 6-pane attic windows. The fourth attic window and 5th and 6th first floor windows have been replaced in plastic. The centre piece has projected ground floor enclosed Doric 3-bay porch with 4 timber fluted columns and entablature with triglyph frieze, the cornice removed. Pilaster responds behind each column, 8-pane narrow sash each side of double panelled doors each with roundel mid panel. 8-pane sash on each end. First floor has formal arrangement of 4 pilasters with entablature, broader centre bay with tripartite sash under shallow segmental arch, and bay to left has 12-pane sash, bay to right has arched niche. First floor feature rises into attic, leaving room for small roundel window each side of a centre window of 3 square casements in a row.
Right end wall was 4-window range, now part obscured by C20 2-storey gabled addition. Originally windows as on front. Attic now has two 6-pane sashes, a blank window and a plastic window, first floor has plastic window and two 12-pane sashes, ground floor has three 12-pane sashes.
Left end has 2 parallel 2-storey service ranges, that to front with close-eaved roof hipped to left end and with ridge stack in centre. Four-window range, two 8-pane sashes over two 12-pane sashes to right, 2 narrow 8-pane sashes over half-glazed door and 6-pane window to left. End wall has 12-pane sash over lean-to.
Rear of main house is 3-storey, 7-window range, under single hipped roof. A 5-window range to left contains the main rooms and a 2-window range set back to right has the staircase, the range being shorter than the front range. Windows are mostly replaced, 5-window range has plastic attic windows, metal first floor windows and metal French window each side of 3 original 12-pane sashes. Staircase part has deep eaves, different floor levels: 2 small attic windows, 18-pane stair light at mid-height left, and 8-pane window set lower to right, and then door with overlight to ground floor left (set higher than main ground floor) and long C20 window lower to right. Service wing to right, 2-storey, 4-window with right gable-end stack. Four 8-pane windows above, two C20 imitation 12-pane sashes to left, C20 French window and added lean-to to right. Lean-to has 3 large 6-pane windows. Right end wall has door, and datestone 1790, possibly reset. Narrow passage with glazed roof between the service ranges.

Interior

Interior altered, but Regency-style panelled shutters and doors remain, those on ground floor with raised roundels in middle, sunk panels above and below. Doors have 3 panels above and below and 3 roundels. Entrance hall is roughly square but open to porch with 2 fluted Doric timber columns and pilaster responds. Hall has Doric triglyph frieze and later C19 Bath stone Tudor-arched fireplace in corner. A one-window space to the right appears to have formerly been part of the hall, perhaps also with a columned screen, as the Doric frieze matches, but all infilled in C20. Two-window room beyond has no original detail. C20 door from bay to left of hall to rear stair hall. Relatively plain later C18 dog-leg stair with square newels, closed strings, thick square balusters and relatively deep handrail. To right of entrance hall are double doors into large 3-window former drawing-room with moulded cornice concealed by C20 plyboard. Panelled shutters with roundels matching doors. Fireplace on spine wall and panelled doors to extreme left and right, the left door to a cupboard. Fireplace has some detail matching shutters but maybe made up of reused pieces. To rear of this and to right of rear stairs is four-window large former dining-room, stripped of detail except for shutters with roundels to 3 windows, metal French window to left. One-bay space at S end behind chimney wall, with metal French window, may have been an ante-room, with door to drawing-room.
First floor has axial corridor up steps running left, with 2 simple arches over steps. Attic floor above. Roof has tie-beam trusses with wishbone struts, 2 parallel roofs and a separate roof over stair, with indications of rebuilding.

Reasons for Listing

Included for architectural interest as one of the larger Georgian country houses of the region.

External Links

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