Faendre Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Set in extensive grounds, though only a proportion surrounding the house is maintained as garden, separated from the main estate development by Cypress Drive and reached by a drive from Vaendre Close off Newport Road.

History

Datestone 1850.

Exterior

Mansion in Tudor/Jacobean Revival style after the manner of William Burn. Built of finely jointed ashlar to the 3 main elevations - rubble with ashlar dressings to rear; Welsh slate roof with gable apex finials, some representing beasts, and clusters of polygonal stacks set astride the ridges; elaborate Dutch-style gables and high parapets with moulded coping; gargoyles channel water into downpipes which are mostly and unusually rendered. Two storeys and attic. Most upper windows are paired rectangular lights, each with a sash of 4 panes set vertically; ground floor rooms mostly have cross windows; attic windows in gables are small rectangular 2-pane lights; all mullions, transoms and surrounds are moulded; prominent string courses between ground and first floor and at parapet level; protruding quoins, slightly battered plinth. Entrance elevation (NE) has 3 bays each with elaborately shaped gable; recessed narrow and lower centre entrance bay has cartouche in gable; narrow paired first floor lights give onto balustrade of pierced Gothic tracery incorporating a shield with date 1850; below is the main entrance with Tudor-arched doorway with 4 orders of moulding; recessed double doors with overlight have vertical panelling divided by a low rail. On either side are similar taller gabled bays, that to right being wider, with paired lights to ground and first floor, narrow attic lights, gable finial lost to left. Attached to right by an embattled courtyard wall is a semi-octagonal wing with rectangular lights in each face and tiered pyramidal roof incorporating a louvred ventilator, resembling an external medieval kitchen. Garden elevation (SE) of 4 unequal bays, all with ground floor mullion and transom French windows giving onto terrace, has at centre a single-storey canted bay with pierced parapet, large 3-light window above surmounted by a gable; to right and left are bays with paired windows on each floor, a gargoyle leans from the upper string course at left; at end left is another gabled bay, also with paired lights to each floor including attic. Side garden elevation (SW) has a 3- bay elevation to the main section with similar windows: triple at centre below a small gable; double French window ground floor right; stepped down at end left is a half-hipped roofed lower service range surmounted by a hipped roofed attic room glazed on 3 sides. Rear (NW) elevation has a large external stack projecting from first floor of the service wing; a single storey rear wing with embattled parapet joins this wing and the semi-octagonal kitchen-style wing; first floor of main house has one window with Gothic-style tracery.

Interior

Corridor along spine of house has main reception rooms with garden views and access leading off to left, staircase, and service rooms to right. Rooms retain shutters, Gothick panelled doors; main sitting room believed to retain clustered columns with capitals and marble fireplace.

Reason for designation

Listed for its architectural interest as a substantial mid-C19 mansion house which has retained its character. Group value with other listed items in the grounds.