Llwyngwair Manor Hotel

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in it own grounds some 1.5k km E of Newport.

History

Early to mid C18 country house of the Bowen family, probably on earlier core; altered in C19 and substantially added to, and internally altered, in use as hotel since 1957.

Llwyngwair is recorded during medieval period as belonging to Cole family and was sold after 1503 to Sir James ab Owen of Pentre Ifan and became the principal Bowen residence from the time of his son Matthias (d 1557). The C18 rebuilding was probably for James Bowen (1669-1752) who inherited in 1708, but his son George (1722-1810) was a noted improving landlord. He was also an important figure in early Methodist history and leading figures including Wesley, Harris, Rowland and Williams visited Llwyngwair.

Exterior

Rendered two-storey and attic 9-window front, the centre porch bay projecting and gabled. Concrete roof tiles and rendered stacks. Windows are 12-pane sashes, longer to ground floor. Centre has bracket eaves to sides, presumably similar eaves existed on main house and gable, since simplified. Pedimental gable with tripartite lunette, first floor Venetian tripartite sash and ground floor door recessed in flush porch with two squat columns, possibly early C19, and shallow arch. Within are double doors with margin-glazed side-lights and overlight. Four flat 6-pane dormers, two each side. End elevations are obscured by C20 additions.

Complex rear with stair gable of main house recessed between further projecting gabled wings, with sash windows and brick window heads. A similar range runs parallel to front range to W.

Interior

The five-bay entrance hall has much early-to mid C18 style panelling with raised panels and elliptical-arched recesses, the 3-bay part to E appearing original and (presumably) previously separate from hall area which may have been panelled to match when the spaces were combined. There is matching panelling also within the porch, which has shallow plaster vaulting. From entrance hall a narrow archway opens to short stair with panelled dado and arched stair light of half-landing, from which flights branch each side. Thick rail and square newels.

Rooms to W of hall are at considerably lower level, indicating a more complex building history. Much altered in hotel use, but first room has ornate bolection moulded fireplace with cartouche over and pine-cone drops each side under Ionic capitals, probably early C18, and W end room has early C19 marble fireplace.