History

A canal-side building of the late C18, which at some stage (possibly originally) was a public house. In 1813 the Nantgarw Chinaworks was established on the site by William Billingsley and his son-in-law, Samuel Walker. Billingsley lived in the house, but the rear outshut and cellar were used for industrial purposes. The works was subsequently sold to William Weston Young who closed it in 1822. Many of the chinaworks buildings behind the house were demolished, but in 1832 the works was reopened by William Henry Pardoe for the production of tobacco pipes and earthenware. The factory remained in the hands of the Pardoe family until it finally closed in 1921. The buildings fell into ruin, but in the later C20, a programme of restoration began and the site was opened as the Nantgarw Chinaworks Museum. At the start of the works, the house was a roofless shell, and new roof coverings, windows and floors were inserted.

Exterior

Symmetrical 2-storey 3-window range with outshut to rear and single-storey lean-to to E gable end. Constructed of limewashed rubble stone under a replaced slate roof, with brick end stacks. Panelled door facing S under a segmental head of narrow stone voussoirs. Similar heads to flanking windows, and flat heads to upper storey windows immediately under the eaves. All the windows contain replaced 6-over-6-pane horned sashes.

The E lean-to extends slightly to the rear. It has an artificial slate roof and an eaves stack of late C20 brick, offset to the R. Square window to L with brick surround. Attached to the gable apex of the main range is a sign reading 'Crochendy / Nantgarw / China-Works'. The natural ground falls to the W, and the W gable end is 3-storey, containing 2 doorways to the cellars. In the centre is a wide doorway with segmental head of narrow stone voussoirs and a planked door. To the L, into the rear outshut, is a narrower doorway in a similar style. Slightly offset above the latter is a tall round-headed stairlight with brick head, relieving arch above, and replaced multi-pane glazing. Sign fixed to gable apex, as E end.

The rear outshut has a planked door under a flat head to L of centre, set in a panel of brickwork. Multi-pane square-headed windows to L and R, of irregular size and position, the former with a concrete lintel. The rear side of the E lean-to contains a late C20 planked door to the R and a window to the L, both with brick dressings, including a relieving arch over the door.

Interior

The house was a shell before it was converted to a museum, and the partition walls no longer survive. The floors and ceilings have been replaced and the walls are unplastered. Straight ahead from the front door is a round headed doorway leading into the outshut, suggesting that there was a central passage. Flanking flat headed doorways with replaced brick jambs and wooden lintels, lead from the front rooms to the outshut. Fireplaces to each end with segmental brick heads, flanked by square headed recesses. From the centre of the rear outshut, the open-well staircase is to the L and has been rebuilt in wood. Underneath the staircase is a small room with fireplace across the SW angle. The former room to the R of the outshut has a flagstone floor and a spiral stone staircase leading down to the cellar. The walls show much sign of alteration with a number of brick blockings. Toilets in E lean-to. The cellar has a cobbled stone floor and replaced ceiling beams. There is a small room at the base of the staircase and a larger room to the W, entered through a wide square-headed opening. At the W end is a round arched doorway leading N into a small room below the outshut which has a flagstone floor. The upper storey of the house is open-plan.

Reasons for Listing

Include, notwithstanding extensive modern restoration, for its exceptional historic interest as an important south Wales china works.

The Pottery site is scheduled Ancient Monument GM 335 (RCT).

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29500381

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

• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)