History

Gentry house built c. 1831-4 for Dr Walter Jones, to a picturesque design by Peter F. Robinson, architect. Design No 20 in P. F. Robinson's pattern book 'Rural Architecture' of 1823, illustrates a house built for Major General Bayley Wallis, called Millfield Cottage, Bookham, Surrey, exhibited at Royal Academy in 1814, and Lancych follows this closely. In 2004 damaged by fire which destroyed the staircase, first floor interiors and much of the roofs.
The estate was part of that of the Llwyds or Lloyds of Dolau Llanerch, nearby. Lancych is first mentioned c. 1730-60 when owned by Morgan Lloyd, also owner of Ffoshelyg, Ceredigion It was then occupied by his brother-in-law Benjamin Davies, tanner. Davies' daughter Sarah married Morgan Lloyd, her uncle, and after his death in 1770, married David Griffiths of Vaynor, High Sheriff 1779, and they lived at Lancych. After Sarah Griffiths' death in 1802, passed to a relation, Mariamne Jones, who married the Rev Thomas Thomas in 1807. After her death in 1831, passed to her nephew, Dr Walter Jones. His son, in 1869, took the additional surname and arms of the Lloyds of Dolau Llanerch. Dr Lloyd died in 1869. Lancych remained in his family until sold in 2003.

Exterior

Country house, colourwashed roughcast with far-overhanging slate roofs and numerous chimneys. Picturesque cottage style, called 'cottage orne', with Tudor style detail mixed with outsize decorative bargeboards from cottage tradition. Extremely complex roof pattern, said to have had 17 roofs, with chimneys of many sizes all capped with paired diagonally-set brick shafts, the shafts each with stone shelf at one third height, linked. Windows are generally small-paned mullion-and-transom. Raised plinths. Two storeys, the plan roughly of porch opening onto a square hall with staircase off to right (S), library to left N, and dining-room (NE) and drawing-room (SE) parallel beyond.
W ENTRANCE FRONT composed of five elements from left to right each distinct, the first three the main house, the latter two service ranges.
1. A windowless side of a gabled block facing N, gabled to N, hipped to S with deep eaves underlapping a stuccoed gable with very large external chimneybreast. The chimneybreast has high plinth, then rises through an open lean-to on poles (hipped at NW end) to a set-back at first floor level, then through eaves to a string-course just above gable, then top with inset panel and stone coping under the two brick chimney shafts.
2. A lower axial ridge across to join projecting gable (3) with cross-axial ridge chimney, the chimney base with panel on narrow end and shafts in line. To right of stack, very slightly set back from 1 is a two-storey half-hipped gable with plain bargeboards over a first floor cross-window recessed in chamfered surround, above a large projecting gabled porch set slightly to right such that window and ridge are not aligned. Porch has very ornate pierced bargeboards, Tudor-arched chamfered entry and plinth. Tudor-arched door within. Porch is set in angle to gable 3, projecting forward such that right side of roof overlaps.
3. Gabled cross-wing projecting forward of main range with more ornate bargeboards than porch in outsize cusps, first floor cross-window and ground floor long 3-light. On right side is external chimneybreast rising above roof of 4, through eaves to slated set-offs, tall whitewashes stone stack, stone coping and diagonal shafts. Behind the cross-wing is taller stair tower, plain bargeboards to W side, traceried rose-window to S.
4. Service section has contrastingly low one-and-a-half storey section with single-light to ground floor each side of raised pier carrying a picturesque narrow first floor. This is corbelled out at eaves level and then roughcast above with tiny canted oriel of 1-2-1 lights, centre transom and moulded eaves under hipped roof. Stepped moulded base. Half-hipped gable with plain bargeboards, the roof running back to axial ridge.
5. Cross-wing, higher roofed than 4 but lower than 3, the W gable set slightly back from 4 such that corner overlaps and massive external chimneybreast with high plinth, set-offs at first floor level, stringcourse just below gable, roughcast top with stone coping under twin brick shafts. S return has eaves-breaking gabled casement pair to left and short projecting lower range to centre and right, with half-hipped gable, plain bargeboards, attic casement with very small panes and boarded ground floor opening to left. Right is obscured by S service range (See below).
N GARDEN FRONT is L-plan with gabled projection to right.
5. Big projecting gable (of 1) with ornate bargeboards (as on 3), first floor cross-window and ground floor projecting square bay with plinth, 3-light to front, single light sides and deeply projecting hipped roof on coved eaves.
6. Range to left has centre similar square bay but slightly smaller with hipped roof on deep cove, the roof against a narrow wall-face projection with triangular-headed single light breaking eaves under gable with overhanging fretted bargeboards. Under eaves to left is a corbelled panelled projection, possibly base of a removed chimney.
E GARDEN FRONT has two gables, the left projecting much further than right, the left one probably extended in matching style, and rear of low range (4 and 5) set back to left
7. Gable end of 6, with bargeboards (as on 3 and 5), first floor cross-window and ground floor 3-light.
8. Projecting drawing-room gable is half-hipped and plain (probably extended forward) with triangular-headed long single light to ground floor N and S and E end long 3-light to ground floor, cross-window above. Left (S) return has added lean-to to ground floor, with, rising through it to left, a massive external chimney breast rising through eaves, with set back shaft but no brick shafts. This range abuts at right-angles the E side of the stair tower whose roof is higher and hipped at SE angle.
9. Rear of low service section (4) has narrow half-hipped projecting gable to right with 12-pane stair-light at mid-height, and set back to left a single first floor casement over ground floor lean-to in narrow space between projection to right and 10 (the end of crosswing 5)
10. Gable end of crosswing with plain bargeboards, cross-window to ground floor, 2-light above.
S SERVICE RANGE: This comprises two parallel blocks, whitewashed rubble stone, a long one to W with short one to E, with unusual whitewashed rubble chimneys of elongated hexagon form that may be C17.
11. W service range has large cross-axial ridge stack, and 3-window range to W, casement-pairs under eaves with cut slate sills, casement pair to left, triple casement to centre (slightly right of window above) with stone voussoirs and rough sills, and blocked door to extreme right, with lower head and stone voussoirs. S end gable has low door with stone voussoirs. Rear E is windowless apart from one opening with stone voussoirs in angle to E service range (12).
12. E range is parallel to S end only of W range, slightly broader roof, half-hipped to N, gabled to S with massive S end chimney similar to that on ridge of E range. E side has first floor broad 3-light casement with tiny panes and ground floor roofless large lean-to. N end has door and window with stone voussoirs to ground floor. Single storey range running S from S end.

Interior

Interior not available for inspection after 2004 fire. Staircase said to be destroyed and rooms on first floor but ground floor library, drawing-room and dining-room intact.

Reasons for Listing

Graded II* for its exceptional architectural interest as one of the best examples in Wales of the picturesque cottage style.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17741724

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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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
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  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
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  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper