Ty Mawr

Cadw's description

Location

Reached at end of short drive off by-road, approximately 1km SW of Cilcennin.

History

Early C19 with earlier origins. Mid/later C19 alterations and additions for F.Saunders, a member of the East India Company. Entries in the diaries of C.R.Cockerell, architect, for 11-12 July 1826 mention planned additions for Captain Saunders, but nothing else is recorded. It is difficult to ascribe anything to Cockerell now, due to later C19 remodelling, but it is possible that the front (entrance range) is his: the projecting central bay with pedimental gable is reminiscent of Cockerell's Derry Ormond, of 1824 (demolished), some 6 miles distant and the present sash windows here appear to be insertions of the 1840s.

Exterior

Rubble construction (formerly plastered). Hipped slate roofs (valley to W of rear block). Wide eaves with paired large brackets to main elevations (single ones to rear). Four chimney stacks (some removed), rubble or rendered: one to left of front range behind ridge, one to valley of rear block and two end stacks to rear. Two storey 3-bay front range, the central bay projecting with shallow pedimental gable and stone pedimental returns: bracketed eaves. 20-pane hornless sash windows to ground floor, marginal vertical glazing. Cambered brick heads. Similarly glazed 5/10 windows to first floor left and right with lintels. These windows appear to be later insertions. Upper wide central window with round arched brick head, tripartite 4:12:4 sash window: blind fanlight with radiating glazing bars: the clumsiness of scale and detail suggests that the window is a later reworking. Slate sills. Later C19 rendered gabled porch with panels to front and sides, the latter with round arched windows. Paired half-glazed doors with plain overlight. Paired half-glazed inner doors with marginal glazing: also to paired overlights.

W elevation with projecting rear block to right and rear elevation: W end of front range with window to each floor as front and also small basement window. N elevation of block with wide 4-pane sashes, 2 to first floor, 1 below. W end of block with tripartite 2:4:2 sashes to basement and ground floor, 4-pane sash above. To the right, on each level is a small 12-pane sash. Red brick surrounds. E elevation with 3 upper windows as main front. Two tripartite 12:16:12 sashes to ground floor, marginal vertical glazing, cambered brick heads. 3 small C20 basement windows. Again, the windows appear to be later insertions. Slate sills. Straight joint towards unfenestrated left end, indicating later work to the rear. The rear rises to 3 full storeys. Six-bay elevation, 12-pane tall sash windows to upper floors with brick surrounds and slate sills, basement windows with C20 glazing and brick surrounds. First floor entry with door to third bay from left, which, with the window to the right is covered by a C20 lean-to conservatory, raised on a bridge oversailing the driveway. C20 steps to entry. Later L-plan agricultural range attached to W. S front with boarded door to right and paired wide boarded doors to left with wooden lintel. Rubble lean-to in inner angle. E elevation with paired high barn doors, cambered stone voussoired heads and paired boarded doors. C20 window to ground floor right with stone voussoired head, boarded door above left, rising behind eaves. Slate sills. N elevation with 2 blocked elliptically headed cart entries, stone voussoirs.

Interior

Much late C19 detail, including fireplaces and plaster cornices, but front left room has an early C19 panelled dado with dentilled cornice. Mid/late C19 cantilevered staircase in large square well: open string, turned balusters and handrail scrolled to grouped terminating balusters on the ground floor. Rear single flight stick baluster stair. Front hall with 4-panel doors and painted embossed leather over-doors.

Reason for designation

Imposing C19 country house, possibly enlarged by C.R.Cockerell, the designer of Lampeter College and later to become one of Britain's most original architects.