Penrice Towers gate house

Cadw's description

Location

At the main entrance to Penrice Castle park, forming a picturesque focal point where the road to Port Eynon is diverted to the north of the park. The gatelodge (Penrice Towers) is to the north of the gates. (Detached south turret separately listed)

History

Penrice Castle (the mansion) was built for Thomas Mansell Talbot to the design of Anthony Keck, architect, of King's Stanley, Gloucestershire. The house has one gate lodge only, adjacent to the north east gate to the park, a quasi-folly design as a picturesque ruin.
The park boundaries were probably not settled until the 1790s, when the mason Gubbings was paid for gates, piers and railings. The gate house appears to be integral with the gateway, and is probably contemporary. It appears on the 1813 map.

Exterior

A remarkable gate house designed as a ruined folly, a pioneer in the Regency taste for picturesque park buildings. The wall top throughout is carried up to a rustic parapet resembling broken stonework. It is of uncoursed masonry built in local conglomerate sandstone, an irregular material lending itself to a style of rustic informality. The building has no dressed stone and window and door frames are carefully recessed into the rear face of the stonework so as not to clash with it visually.
The part closest to the gates is circular and of two storeys plus a generous parapet; it is linked by a curtain wall to an outer turret to the north. Part of the lodge extends along the rear of the curtain wall. On the side facing outwards there is a low window with two pointed lights overlooking the approach to the gates. On the side towards the mansion a similar window overlooks the inner approach to the gates, and there are two similar windows in the tower at first storey and another in the extension behind the curtain wall. Another single-light window at the end of the extension part. Two plain doors.

Reason for designation

Listed as II* as a park gate lodge designed as a romantic castle ruin, of great rarity; also listed for group value with Penrice Castle (mansion) and with a detached tower to the south of the adjacent gateway.