The Tower

Cadw's description

Location

Above the road on a bend in the hill. A prominent building when looking E from The Geraint. Said to have been a watchtower for Castle Dinas Bran; also sometime school.

History

Later C16 origins with early and mid C19

Exterior

Later C16 origins with early and mid C19 enlargements and some later alterations. The result is a 2-storey house of complicated, roughly T-shaped, plan. Rendered elevations, slate roof, boarded eaves and pale brick chimney stacks. The early C19 enlargements are later Georgian and the later work is a neo-Tudor style. L-shaped main front with crenellated porch to the angle; four-centred arch openings and 4-panel Gothic door. All windows have high Tudor labels; cross frame to left, tripartite to right and single light over the porch. The E facing gable has one small window. The N end has twin gables with similar casement window over modern oriel. Lean-to on rear of the northern arm. The garden front to W is 3-window with a 2-window cross range to left. In the centre near the angle is an attic gable over 2 and 3-light casements with low Tudor labels. This marks the north western end of the original building; vertical joint vissible to right indicating that this may have been a projecting bay. To right are Victorian sash windows over modern conservatory; half glazed doors behind . The cross range to left is ealier C19 and has 2-window gable end with small pane sashes. The side elevation facing conservatory has 4-pane casement over 6-panel door.

Interior

The entrance hall has dog-leg oak stairs and chamfered lintel to fireplace. The dining room to right has fine but reset ceiling with roll moulded beams and hollow stops. These relate to the earlier building and were probably reset in earlier C19 with one beam being placed like a cornice. The same arrangement occurs in the room above and a portion of another moulded beam reused at the top of the staircase.