Glan-y-Mawddach

Cadw's description

Location

Located on a raised site to the W of the main road between Cutiau and Barmouth bridge and with outstanding views over the Mawddach estuary

History

Late Regency villa much altered and extended late C19/earlyC20 for Mr and Mrs Keighley who laid out an important terraced gardenwith formal walks and topiary, extending in all to about 30 acres.

Exterior

2-storey villa of irregular plan form; dressed, coursed stone facings with hipped, shallow-pitched slate roofs with oversailing eaves. Large rendered chimneys with plain capping and chimney pots. The entrance is at the 2-bay N side; stone classical architrave with moulded cornice and recessed multi-panel glazed C20door. To the L a tall 2-light window with 3-tier sash glazing and architrave as before. 2 elegant near-flush 12-pane sash windows to first floor. To the R of the entrance, a further, recessed bay with single sash windows as before to both floors. The long E side (facing the estuary) is of 3 sections, the central one slightly advanced; two15-pane sashes to the L with a further 12-pane sash above, all with projecting slate cills. 2-storey canted bay to central section with plain sash glazing and moulded string course between ground and first floors. The right-hand section has two 12-pane sashes to the first floor with a large rectangular projecting bay beneath; tripartite sash glazing as before. Triple-gabled rear (W) side with plain bargeboards and sash windows as before. Attached to the S a storeyed service wing with two part-glazed panelled doors to its E face and 12-pane sashes above. This faces a small service court and has a further, single-storey service range adjoining to the S, slightly advanced; this has 16-, 9- and 4-pane windows and 3 boarded doors. Adjoining the house to the SE and backing onto the service court to the W, a single-storey stone loggia/conservatory; 5 round-headed arched openings with flat dividing pilasters with plain abaci, and glazed French windows with radiating glazed fans; glazed atrium-type roof.

Adjoining the house at its E side and terminating at the loggia to the S, a long raised terrace with balustraded parapet overlooking the estuary. The terrace has a high rubble retaining wall , partly builton rock and buttressed at the S end beneath the point at which the terrace and the loggia meet; here the wall returns southwards and is adjoined by a steep flight of cement steps leading from the upper service court down to the garage/coach yard. In the centre of the main section of retaining wall is a polished slate dedication plaque with a Latin inscription, the initials AK and JK and the date 1910. Banded balustrade piers of cement and Ruabon brick with turned terracotta balusters and cement coping. 8 classical terracotta urns surmount the balustrade and 5 urns of reconstituted stone on similar pedestals flank the paved terrace to the W; at the N end, a further urn on pedestal stands in the centre of a yew-topiary arc. 3 further ceramic urns stand on a raised plinth along the E side of the house.

Reason for designation

Included as an elegant Edwardian remodelling of an earlier villa in an important contemporary terraced and landscaped garden setting in an outstanding position overlooking the Mawddach estuary.