Children's Mill or Boat House

Cadw's description

Location

Set into the river bank to south-west of Glynllifon House, beside the weir on the Afon Llifon immediately south of the Stable courtyard.

History

Built by 3rd Lord Newborough for his five children in mid C19. Stylistically it post-dates the rebuilding of the house which was completed in 1848 but though Spencer Bulkeley (3rd Lord) lived until 1888 this building must have been built considerably before that given that it was intended for his own children.

Glynllifon was the seat of the Wynn family and Sir Thomas John Wynn became the 1st Lord Newborough in 1776. The house was rebuilt after a fire 1836-48 by Edward Haycock, architect of Shrewsbury. Influence for some of the garden features came from the family’s grand tours.

Exterior

Small-scale boat house built in brick with a slate roof, tiled cresting and ventilators. It is distinctive for its use of yellow brick for banding and dressings and contrasting with the blue/red brick for the rest of the building. Appealing miniature campanile to west side with pyramidal swept roof and finial. This has small rectangular lights to each stage, louvred to top and with boarded door to south side. The gable ends of the building have scalloped bargeboards and that facing the river has circular louvred opening over a small semicircular arched aperture, with keystone, at water level. Uphill gable end has sunken entrance reached by steps down behind brick wall with stone coping.

Attached brick wall with missing coping, runs north across the stone weir to adjoin one of the sluice houses.

Interior

Interior not accessible at time of inspection.

Reason for designation

Included for group value with other listed items at Glynllifon as a well-preserved and unusual building-type within this exceptionally fine landscaped park.