Glandovan

Cadw's description

Location

Situated down drive running E from Glandovan Lodge on Cilgerran-Rhos Hill road.

History

C16 house built by Robert Vaughan, son of Rhys Vaughan of Corsygedor, Merioneth. Succeeded by his son William and grandson Rhys, who owned it in 1670 when it was assessed as having six hearths, possibly already the present house which has six chimney shafts. From Rhys Vaughan it passed to the Stedman family of Strata Florida, and c.1700 to the Gower family of Boughton St John, Worcs, Abel Gower (1694-1788) inheriting. His son Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower (1742-1814), Governor of Newfoundland 1804-7, inherited but did not live in the house. His brother Abel Anthony Gower(1768-1837) succeeded, and reroofed the house in 1832. He also owned Castle Malgwyn from 1808. His nephew R F Gower followed, but lived mainly at Clunderwen, and Glandovan was tenanted for much of the C19.

Exterior

Circa 1660 country house in whitewashed roughcast (mostly covered in creeper) with hipped slate roof and paired bracket eaves. Roof has centre valley and two big axial three-shaft rendered stacks. Two-storey five-window front of timber cross-windows with slate sills, some top-lights leaded. Centre early C19 6-panel door with sidelights in early C19 timber porch of two Roman Doric columns, pilaster responds, and cornice. House is to a regular square plan with centre rear stair projection also hipped. Added block in SW rear angle. E side has two-window range to right, basement and two storeys, one-window range to left. Similar cross-windows. W side has two first floor windows to right. Rear stair gable has one leaded cross-window to first floor left, C20 windows to both floors to right, and C20 lean-to to ground floor left. Added corner range has similar bracketed eaves, whitewashed rubble walls, roof gabled to W with stone stack, and hipped to SE. Big earlier C19 16-pane sash to S wall.

On the E of the forecourt are two stone early C19 gatepiers.

Interior

Renaissance square plan, possibly the earliest surviving in Dyfed with axial spine broad passage to rear stairs up to attic, cross-axial thick chimney wall, and four rooms, NE dining-room, NW drawing-room, SE parlour and SW kitchen, all typical of the later C17. Passage has panelling introduced in C20, staircase is exceptional in scale though relatively crude in detail, open-well, with plain string, square newels, carved finials and pendants, and turned balusters. The two front rooms and parlour have plastered panelled ceilings, with simple mouldings framing the beams, C19 marble fireplace in NE room. The kitchen has three exposed beams, and the remains of a small stair to left of fireplace. Three ornate figured wood doors were introduced from Surrey in C20. Two upstairs bedrooms have similar plastered panelled ceilings, and there is some fielded panelling to wall to small centre room.