Min-Yr-Afon

Cadw's description

Location

Close to Overton Bridge, alongside the River Dee.

History

Previously known as Overton Cottage, the present house appears to have been built c1820, and is referred to in an indenture dated 1826. It is likely, however, that this early C19 house represented the remodelling of an earlier building on the site, since the present NE wing appears to predate it. The house was further extended with the addition of a SE wing in the mid C19, and there have been minor additions subsequently.

Exterior

Entrance range is stuccoed, with slate roof hipped over bowed gable ends. Stuccoed SE wing also has hipped roof; NE wing is roughly coursed and squared rubble, painted over and with slate roof. Main range is a 2 storeyed, 4-window range, with doorway to right of centre in projecting porch with heavy cornice and blocking course. Lower windows are 15-pane sashes, with 9-pane sashes above. Moulded wood overhanging eaves cornice. Each return wall is bowed, with sash window (French window to ground floor south) on each floor. Higher NE wing has rectangular bay window projecting from ground floor (a later addition), its flat roof forming balcony to tripartite French window above. Conservatory with central gabled porch adjoins this wing to the SE. NE rear wing appears to pre-date the other parts of the house: its heavy stone walling begins to return along the rear of the main range, but it truncated, suggesting the partial demolition of an earlier building line. Wide casement windows with cambered brick heads on each floor in the rear wing, an upper window retaining iron framed leaded casement.

Interior

Several early C19 details survive inside the house, including the staircase, which has slender balusters, swept mahogany rail and moulded tread ends; other internal joinery details which may date from the early C19 include internal window shutters and a panelled partition screen dividing the larger of the principal rooms in the front range.

Reason for designation

A good example of C19 picturesque architecture, one of a series of such houses built to exploit riverside locations in Overton.