The Clock House

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently sited on a natural projection into the estuary, immediately to the S of the main road, and some 300m to the E of Barmouth railway bridge.

History

Eclectic Victorian Gothic house built by the Lowe family, mill-owners; the main, central section dates from c.1844, to which additions including a striking clock tower were added c.1890-1900 (information from Mr. D Davies).

Exterior

Rubble-built with green limestone dressings; renewed slate roofs with slightly oversailing eaves; 2 plain chimneys, the upper sections rendered. L-shaped primary (central) section with near- symmetrical entrance front. Advanced, steeply-gabled porch with moulded wooden bargeboards and a wooden glazed louvre with bracketed pyramidal copper roof; lead ball finial. The porch has a moulded ogee entrance arch with blind, cusped trefoil tracery above, carried at the sides on stylised carved head-corbels. In a moulded lozenge recess in the gable apex, the date 1844 in raised lettering. Contemporary part- glazed door with ogee fan, panelled below; plain arched lights to the porch return walls. Flanking the porch, recessed 30-pane sash windows, giving the impression of cross windows; chamfered reveals. Above, 2 gabled dormers with bargeboards as before. Triangular intersecting tracery and multi-pane original glazing. To the R, a further, recessed bay with moulded segmental arch carrying the jettied upper storey; 2-light mullioned window above a 16-pane sash. This connects with, to the R a 2-storey tower with angled corners and hipped roof; lead finials and decorative ironwork. Advanced flat, central buttress with two narrow 8-pane fixed windows and a blindslit-light above; moulded wooden gablet above this. The S face of the tower has a battered base and a 2-storey canted oriel window; moulded base and plain, modern windows.

Adjoining the tower, a tall clock tower of 2 sections, rubble below with dressed stone above. Recessed pointed-arched slit-windows to lower section with bracketing above. The upper section has depressed- arched recesses to each face, each containing twin slatted bell-ventswith an oculus above with clock face. Bracketed eaves and pyramidalcopper roof with lead finial. To the rear of the main block, a largebattered projecting plinth with surmounting wooden verandah; octagonalposts and wide Tudor-arched arcade with decorative iron balustrade. Tothe L of the main block, and connected to it by a recessed communication bay, a single-storey service block with hipped roof;angled corners, gablet and ironwork as before. Small octagonal chimney with simple moulding. This wing, together with the 2 towers was added later in the C19.

Reason for designation

An unusual and interesting Victorian lodge-scale house in a verystriking location and with group value with the Barmouth bridge.