Nant Fawr

Cadw's description

Location

Located to the north-east of the community to the N of an unclassified lane running SW from Abergele towards Dolwen; set back behind rubble garden forecourt walls.

History

Lateral chimney house with storeyed porch; probably of 1666, the date which appears in a carved bressummer inscription, though perhaps with earlier, late C16 or early C17 origins. The inscription gives the initials D and A: M, together with WM and GM; these relate to the Maurice (or Morris) family of Nant Fawr. Of these Andrew Maurice was sometime Dean of St Asaph and his son Dr David Maurice was the eccentric vicar of Abergele from 1684 to 1702; it is probable that the initials DA M relate to these. A later, probably early C18 service wing adjoins to the rear and the house has been extended northwards and also to the rear in recent years.

Exterior

Two-storey lateral chimney farmhouse consisting of a primary range with gabled storeyed porch and a later wing to the rear forming a T-plan; modern additions. Of whitened rubble construction with modern slate roof (former gable parapets lost). The main facade faces E and the plain-gabled porch is off-centre to the L. Modern boarded door with contemporary stopped-chamfered frame; 4-pane early C20 window to upper storey, with exposed timber lintel. To the L is a modern 4-part, small-pane window on the ground floor and two C19 windows to the first; that to the L a 6-pane and that to the R a 12-pane, both fixed. To the R of the porch are 2 further modern windows, of tripartite type, to the ground floor and 2 unhorned 16-pane sashes to the first; these break the eaves and are contained within gabled dormers with plain modern bargeboards. A modern flush extension, continuously-roofed, extends one bay to the R. Two lateral chimneys to the rear, on either side of the gabled additional wing; that to the R is flush with the rear wall and is (presumably) later, that to the L is a large projecting chimney with gabled breast. A modern rear extension partly obscures this and a further modern extension advances to the L; a modern conservatory addition is extruded between the two.

Interior

Stopped-chamfered ceiling beams to (reduced) former hall, with plain joists. Large lateral fireplace to this, with flat, stopped-chamfered bressummer. This bears the following inscription in finely-carved, raised letters and numbers: 'F(/)SVMVS DMA 1666 WM GM'. In the entrance hall, a segmentally-headed second-half C18 wooden architrave to L, with acanthus moulding. Two-bay tie-beam and raking strut truss to rear addition with end fireplace; cambered, stopped-chamfered bressummer. Simple pegged partition and collar trusses to roof.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a dated C17 storeyed house.