Warpool court Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on western side of lane to Saint Non's, some 0.5km S of St David's.

History

Circa 1865 substantial house built for the Rev A J M Green and originally called Pen-y-garn, some later C19 alterations for Morgan family before sale to W Williams, who renamed it Dewiscourt. Radically remodelled in later C20, such that character is externally dominated by C20 work.

Exterior

Main surviving elements are a large Romanesque style three-arched porch to left of centre with arches in black brick and two similar ground floor windows to left. Entire structure above these is C20 with E end gable. To right of porch main part of house survives: squared rubble stone with painted stone mullion and transom windows and a big gable to right, but attic has very large C20 dormer additions. Gable has Jacobean style projecting porch with carved coat of arms. W end has some original windows. S front is almost entirely obscured except at right end with curious Romanesque-style, single-storey projection retaining black brick bellcote and terracotta dragon over gable. Big neo-Romanesque arch in red and black brick with cement imposts and re-used drainpipes for column shafts; opening blocked and rendered.

Reason for designation

The house is included in the list for the large collection of painted tiles of late C19 to early C20 date, painted by Ada Lansdown Williams (nee Miller) to illustrate the ancestry of her husband's family and her own. The tiles are largely heraldic with texts outlining genealogies and personal histories, but there are also finely painted landscapes. There are some 100 tiles in 4 panels in ground floor N room illustrating Philipps and Lloyd genealogies and a further 50 on fireplace illustrating Millers of Slate and Glaskenny. SW room behind has two fireplaces illustrating immediate ancestors of William and Ada Williams. Numerous additional tiles scattered through upper floor and attic, those in former nursery illustrating 'The Journey of the Lily and the Rose' dated 1893.

Group value.