Ty'n-y-Coed

Cadw's description

Location

Raised up behind the main road and overlooking Arthog and the Mawddach estury in its own wooded and landscaped park; accessed via a short drive off a lane running parallel behind the main road.

History

Small Victorian country house in eclectic Gothic style built by Mr David Davies in the 1860s who bought the estate and also founded the Ty'n-y-coed quarry. He is mentioned as a JP in Slater's Register of 1871.

Exterior

2 storeys plus attics; snecked dressed rubble with limestone detailing and slate roofs with deep eaves carried on decorative iron brackets. Built on a continuous plinth and with continuous cornice band with the upper wall jettied out slightly above. Symmetrical main (W) front of 3 bays, the central, entrance bay recessed with flanking wings ending as canted bays. These have hipped roofs with lead flashing and iron foliate finials. 3 large 4-pane sash windows to each floor with stopped-chamfered reveals, shouldered-arched heads and expressed segmental relieving arches above; decorative quoins. 3-window entrance bay with central round-arched entrance, finely moulded and with foliate and animal carving, all in sandstone; carved tympanum with shield bearing DD monogram. Polished granite columns flank the entrance with plain bases and topped-chamfered
reveals; naturalistic foliage capitals. Multi-pane double doors with decorative ironwork. The ground floor of the entrance bay is covered by a triple-arched loggia with highly-moulded round-arched openings with keystones containing carved rosettes; columns as before carried on solid chamfered bases with a decorative balustrade. Dentilated cornice with further balustrade to flat lead roof; the left-hand first floor window is of french window type and gives access to this. 2 steeply-pitched wooden dormers to main roof with deep verges supported on scrolled brackets and with decorative finials, pendentives and cusping; moulded stopped-chamfered bargeboards. Similar dormers to
flanking bays and to further bay on S face. Large central fleche with honeycomb slate cladding to lower section and ribbed leading to upper; triple-arched wooden slatted openings to each face.
Decorative iron weather vane. 4 tall stacks with moulded capping; flat cast iron downpipes with square decorative hoppers. Stepped-down to N face, a single-storey projection with half-hipped roof to N and angled side to NE. Rear with slightly advanced gabled wing to R and plain entrance with shouldered arch to L; fenestration as before.

The house stands behind a long raised and balustraded terrace with stone balustrade and terracotta cushion-capitalled columns as balusters.

Interior

The interior was not accessible at the time of inspection (November 1994) but is said to retain fine chimneypieces.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good mid-Victorian small-scale country house, its exterior entirely unaltered.