St Donats Arts Centre

Cadw's description

Location

Immediately to the east of the castle ditch at St Donats Castle.

History

Thought to be of medieval origins and possibly dating mainly from the later C16. It is a surviving building from the St. Donat's Home Farm. Both the barn and the lower extension on the south-east seem to be shown on the Buck brothers' engraving of 1740. The barn was carefully repaired and converted into St. Donat's Arts Centre in 1973-7 by Alex. Gordon and Partners.

Exterior

Local lias limestone rubble walls, partly rendered, with a Welsh slate roof. South-west elevation (facing the Castle) from the left, ventilator slit in blocked doorway with stone dressings and voussoirs, with small opening above, below eaves; central wide segmentally arched barn doorway flanked by full height buttresses faced with pebbledash, the arch has probably been rebuilt; the south-east part of this elevation is also faced in pebbledash. South-east end with window of 2-lights with dripstone, set high in gable. North-east elevation has quoins, with deep arched barn doorway in centre, with single light window slit to left hand and with a lower segmentally arched doorway to right hand; this appears to be an alteration, small opening under the eaves.
Against the south-east end of the barn there is a further, lower wing with stone walls. In its south-east gable, there is a segmental doorway and window on ground floor, a single light window on first floor and a 2-light mullioned window to attic. The wing at right angles to this, on the south-west, appears to be substantially of the 1970s.

Interior

The interior of the main barn area was not available for inspection at resurvey, but it is known to have whitewashed walls and an eight bay collar truss roof. The south-east wing has a ground floor with two chamfered ceiling beams.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest and group value as a part of St. Donat's Castle and its associated gardens.