Hermon's Hill House

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at top end of Hill Lane to S of No 27 Hill Lane.

History

C18 villa, remodelled in early C19, the latter work sometimes attributed to John Nash, without evidence. It was probably first built in the early C18 for Dr Perrot Williams. His son Counsellor Williams JP was High Sheriff in 1767,and in 1779 it passed to his brother William Williams, who died in 1801. He left the house to his cousin Mrs Jane Bassett of Neath. It was leased to Dr Francis Edwardes and in 1808 to Henry Rees. In 1828 it was left to Samuel Harries of Trevaccoon whose son John Harding Harries sold it probably in the 1830s to the architect, builder and promoter of town development, William Owen, for £1,850. Owen probably remodelled it. Occupied by William Owen in 1858-9, by R. H. Harvey JP in 1884, by W. Davies George JP in 1901, and in mid C20 by Sir Charles Price of Clareston, MP. The low front wing with two elegant bows appears to be the C18 house remodelled by Owen. Behind this rises a much taller rectangular hipped roofed early C19 block prominently facing over the lower town. The house was restored in 1987-8.

Exterior

Villa, painted stucco with imitation slate roofs. Low 2-storey 3-bay front with no chimneys. Two elegant two-storey bows flank centre, with flat eaves each side, with plain square brackets. The bows have flat tops and raised plinths. Centre door (formerly flanked by columns with missing capitals) under moulded hood on shaped brackets between the bows. Overlight with lattice tracery to C20 six-panel door. Narrow 8-pane sash above with stone sill. Bows have renewed curved tripartite sashes each floor, linked within a two-storey recess, the lower ones with deep stone sill, the upper ones without sills. Horned sashes of 3-9-3 panes above and 4-12-4 panes below. Painted roughcast left end wall with small loft window. Painted roughcast left end wall with outshut rear.
Addition at right of painted stucco with close eaved roof, standing forward of original house with C20 door in return N wall, steeply sloping W elevation: 8-pane sash over small 3-pane window to left, and C20 tripartite sash of 4-12-4 panes to right.
Much taller rectangular rear block, also stuccoed, with slate hipped roof with square eaves brackets, stuccoed S end stack and painted brick ridge stack. Three storeys, three bays with full-height central canted bay, flanked by square 6-pane sashes at top floor and long arched first floor windows. The N end has two 6-pane dummy windows to top floor and arched dummy window to first floor left. S end has top floor 9-pane sash.

Interior

Interior not inspected.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as an elegant earlier C19 remodelling of a C18 house.