Brechfa House

Cadw's description

Location

On the hill leading S out of Brechfa set back from the road approximately 350m SW of the parish church.

History

Built in 1909 by Clough Williams-Ellis as a "Hunting Box" for Captain Cyril Joynson. This is an early work by Clough William-Ellis, an important C20 British architect best known as the creator of Portmeirion.

Exterior

An Arts and Crafts style 1½-storey house with rustic rubble elevations and battered plinth, highly distinctive mansard roof with swept bracketed eaves, covered with concrete tiles reproducing the effect of original hand-riven slates. Brick stacks were rebuilt in the late C20. Windows are small-pane casements, mostly with rubble voussoirs, and some retain stays indicating original shutters.

The 3-bay front is dominated by the central projection with 2-light lower-storey and 3-light attic window. In the R side wall is the original entrance, with boarded door under a bracketed hood. The L side wall has a corresponding narrow window. There is a 3-light window to the R but no window to the L-hand bay. In the single-window end walls is a single-storey lean-to on the R. This has a 2-light window with shutters to the L, then a boarded door, 2-light window, a half-lit boarded door and, at the R end, a 2-light window inserted in place of an original doorway. To the rear, 3-light dormers flank a central 2-light dormer and in the lower storey is an added conservatory on the R side.

Interior

The interior was not inspected but is said to retain beamed ceilings and plain brick fireplaces. It was damaged by fire c1980.

Reason for designation

Listed as a distinctive Arts and Crafts house forming a strong visual group with the stables and coach house, and an early work by Clough Williams-Ellis, one of the leading C20 country house architects in Wales.