Bryans Building and attached boundary walls to S and N

Cadw's description

Location

Set on the West side of the outer yard, opposite the Lesser Barn. C19 weighbridge located to front of building, formerly used for weighing agricultural produce from the Estate.

History

Tredegar House was the seat of the Morgan family from the early C15 through to the mid C20. The surviving medieval house was incorporated into the South West wing of the much grander, classical house that was built between 1664 and 1672 by Sir William Morgan (d.1680). William married Blanche Morgan, heiress of Judge William Morgan of Therrew, Kings Attorney for South Wales, in 1661 and it seems likely that her dowry financed the rebuilding of Tredegar House and the stables. The origins of this building may be contemporary with that work. The Estate was self-sufficient throughout the C17- C20 and Bryans Building is shown on the Estate map of 1827 by William Jones. It was the home of the steward in the early C18 and provided accommodation for the Head Gardener and the apprentice gardeners and also housed the Home Farm and Agents office.

Exterior

Two storey house, of C17 origins. Red brick elevations and steeply pitched slated gabled roof. Small, central axial brick stack and second small brick stack rises from the NE corner. Much altered in C18/C19. Front (NE) elevation has four regularly spaced, single light, timber casement windows with iron opening leaded lights and pintle hinges at first floor level. Ground floor has large, modern five-light window set beneath exposed lintol at left hand end, with modern glazed door to right and further timber casement to right hand end. Porthole window in lean-to at left hand end. S elevation has two, nine-paned sashes at first floor level, one hornless, offset towards left hand end with two sixteen-paned sashes beneath. Corbelled chimney stack at first floor level towards right hand end, capped off at eaves level with modern doorway beneath, flanked by three modern timber casement windows. NW gable elevation has central splayed, late Victorian porch with decorative bargeboard and finial, above is a nine- paned hornless sash with exposed sashbox. Series of projecting brick ledges high up on gable, presumably originally serving pigeon holes, now blocked. High-set iron, square-leaded lancet casement to attic. SE gable has similar projecting brick ledges and lancet to gable with small single-storey, slated C19 lean-to, with small brick stack beneath.
Small red brick boundary walls to SE of Bryans building, approximately three metres in height, probably C18, enclosing rear garden to the S. To NW of Bryans building is a coursed, rubblestonewall enclosing the kitchen garden. Possibly part C17. At S end, adjacent to Bryans building is a four centred doorway with voussoirs and sides of limestone blocks and plain timber, boarded door, with keystone inscribed 1852.

Interior

Largely modernised. Lean-to at SE end gives access to steep, straight-flight stair leading to the "onion loft" with timber drying racks. At NW end the C17 attic stair remains with heavy turned oak balusters.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II as a surviving example of a stewards house of C17 origins and together with its adjoining walls for its important group value with the Tredegar estate complex.