History

Renaissance double-pile centrally-planned house built in 1632 by Lewis Anwyl, High Sheriff of Merioneth, following his marriage. It was originally of close-studded timber framing and had a steeply pitched roof with 2 tiers of long dormers: these are shown in a depiction of 1805 by an unknown author. The design may have been based on a house by Sir Richard Clough (Bachegraig, built in 1567), and was referred to by Anwyl as his summer house. The house was re-faced in stone c1850, the dormers probably removed at the same time. Originally known as Cemmaes Bychan, it was taken into local authority ownership and divided into 2 dwellings in 1920 to provide small-holdings for men returning from war.

Exterior

Part of a group with Cemmaes Bychan.

Large 2-storey square-plan house of roughly coursed stone under a hipped slate roof, with large central stone stack, the 4 shafts linked by a continuous capstone and with weather-coursing. Irregular 3-window front facing E, with porch to R of centre, forming entrance to Tan y ffordd. Victorian porch with steeply-pitched lean-to roof which has a central narrow gable with decorative barge boards, tile cresting and finial; cusped archway under gable. Flanking narrow 3-light windows with coloured glass. To the R of the porch is a large 2-light small-pane casement under a large timber lintel. Tripartite horned sash to far L under similar timber lintel. The upper storey has 3 x 16-pane hornless sashes rising to the eaves, 2 grouped together to L side.

South side contains entrance to Cemmaes Bychan; C20 half-glazed lean-to porch to L, with door to E end, and 3-light window to S side. Immediately to its R is a 4-pane horned sash with timber lintel and stone sill. Two windows aligned above, C20 top-hung window to L and 16-pane horned sash to R. There is evidence for a blocked ground floor window to the L of the porch, in the position of the stairs, which had a narrow slate sill.

West side has C20 rear door L of centre, to Cemmaes Bychan, with rendered reveals and moulded hood. Immediately to its L is a late C20 wooden window. To the centre of the elevation is a 2-light small-pane casement window with long timber lintel; small-pane late C20 window above. To the far R of the main elevation is a tall small-pane window lighting the stairs. Single-storey rendered lean-to block immediately to its L, its N side with a planked door and 2-light casement, its S side with a C20 window.

N side of house has a large late C20 flat-roofed extension to ground floor, of yellow brick and stone; its basement is formed by an earlier range of rubble stone which has a boarded door to centre flanked by late C20 windows, that to R with small panes. Above the extension, the upper storey is slate-hung with 3 large late C20 windows.

Interior

Although the original central entrance is blocked, the entrance to Tan y Ffordd on its R side, leads into the original entrance hall. This is now a stair-hall with timber staircase, probably C19-20. The room retains good C17 panelling and a fireplace to the rear, cut into the side of the original back-to-back chimney. There were long heated reception rooms to each side of the entrance hall. That to the R, along the E side of the house, has a ceiling with boxed-in cross-beams but is otherwise modernised. That to the L, along the W side of the house retains good C17 wooden panelling and one boxed-in beam to the ceiling. An early C20 small marble fireplace surrounded by contemporary panelling blocks the larger C17 fireplace. To the R of the fireplace is a C17 panelled door which led to the entrance hall. On the S wall is an early blocked window, no longer visible outside.

The original C17 dog-leg staircase occupies the SW corner of the house and has a plain handrail, turned newels with finials and some original timber treads. A planked door under the stairs leads down into a coal store, possibly a former cellar, with a box-framed wall. Adjacent to the staircase in the S wall is the current entrance to Cemmaes Bychan. The entrance passage leads to a service room which contains a rayburn, the flue linked into the N side of the central chimney, and 2 shallow stop-chamfered ceiling beams. There is a kitchen beyond.

The 1st floor (seen in Cemmaes Bychan only) retains good C17 panelling as well as box-panelled partitions, and has cross- and spine-beams with cut and ogee stops. The staircase continues to the attic, from the current bathroom. In the attic, the large central chimney is strapped by substantial pegged timbers, which are supported by a pyramidal structure consisting of horizontal beams attached to the rafters, all part of the early C17 construction. There are also box-framed partitions here, some with wattle and daub infill.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as an ambitious early C17 Renaissance house with a highly centralised plan-form and relics of the original timber-framing to the interior, notwithstanding some unsympathetic alteration to the exterior.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744442

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)