Plas Newydd

Cadw's description

Location

Located on an elevated site approximately 1.5km N of Llanfair village; immediately E of an unclassified lane running N beyond Llanfair from the A 548.

History

Large storeyed Elizabethan gentry house dated 1585. The house retains a particularly fine and important post-and-panel partition screen, with guilloche carving, Anno Domini and Anno Mundi dates, together with Latin inscriptions. This is recognised as one of finest examples of the so-called Vale of Clwyd Group of carved screens, others including those at Faenol-bach, Bodelwyddan (1571), Plas Newydd, Cefn Meiriadog (1583) and Plas Mawr, Conwy (c1577). The roof has lost its gable parapets and the chimneys have been reduced in height.

Exterior

A large Elizabethan storeyed lateral-chimney house dated 1585; of rendered rubble construction with slate roof; 2 plain, square chimneys, one a gable-end stack (L) and the other a lateral chimney with unusually wide gabled breast, flush with the main (entrance) side. Original off-centre cross-passage doorway to entrance side now converted to a window. The present entrance is to the R via a modern gabled porch; modern door. Irregular windows, formerly sashes and casements, though all now uPVC; 4 window front elevation. The rear (farmyard-facing) side has the primary segmentally-arched cross-passage entrance off-centre to the R with flanking tripartite modern windows and further window beyond, all enlarged. The first floor has 4 irregularly-placed smaller windows, possibly of original size; uPVC windows throughout, as before. Adjoining to the R is a small late C19 or C20 lean-to.

Interior

Former hall now subdivided and with relocated plain C19 stick baluster stair. The hall ceiling is of irregular design (similar to that at Faenol-bach, Bodelwyddan), with the two bays to dais end framed in three ways (main beam, secondary beam and joists) and the two bays to the passage end with main beams and joists only; stopped-chamfering throughout. The service bay partition screen survives in situ and is of particularly high quality. This is of post-and-panel type enriched with guilloche carving and with the following inscription on the top rail: "ANNO DOMINI: 1585 RESPICE FINEM: R : V : A ; P : R ANNO : MUNDI : 5547." Enriched Tudor-arched outer doorheads to inner room, the western one bearing the inscription "DEUM TIME". Part of a plain post and panel partition also survives on the first floor, with a Tudor-arched entrance and C19 boarded door; further stopped-chamfered ceiling beams to first floor. The loft floor has roof trusses of simple pegged collar and tie-beam construction, each with a partition, thereby dividing the loft space into four small rooms.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade II* for its special importance as an Elizabethan gentry house with an exceptionally fine carved partition screen belonging to the important Vale of Clwyd Group.