Gliffaes Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

On N side of entrance to Gliffaes, immediately W of main gates.

History

Erected c1881 as the lodge for Gliffaes by the Rev. W. West the architects being Brown & Gill of Bath. It was extended in 1903 after its sale to Sir Shirley Salt. West's father, William H. West, had laid out the gardens c1845. The house became a hotel c1936; the lodge now provides hotel accommodation.

Exterior

Italianate single-storey lodge of snecked rubble sandstone with tooled dressings, pan-tile roof. Consisting of a main range with campanile at E end behind a 2-storey porch, and later extension to L with 2 wings behind that have ribbed brick stacks on stone bases. The porch is splayed at the base and in E and W walls are 2-centred arches with polychrome voussoirs of red sandstone and buff-coloured limestone. Below a deep moulded impost band is a polychrome tile frieze incorporating a lozenge pattern. Above the arches are 2-light windows with lancet heads and a colonette with trumpet capital. The 2-stage campanile has big square openings in the bell stage under a tile frieze and a white brick cornice incorporating a sawtooth course. Saddleback roof with projecting eaves. In the angle between the porch and main range is a polygonal turret with 3 glazed panels under trefoil heads. The main range is 3-window with inserted casement in earlier opening to R. In the centre the wall is splayed with a narrow fixed light, to L of which wall is later and is set back under bracketed eaves with a cross window incorporating a casement, and a ribbed brick stack at L end on a stone base. Rear wings have similar cross windows and ribbed brick stacks.

Interior

Not inspected at time of survey (August 1997).

Reason for designation

A well-composed, well-detailed example of the Italianate style, and with the adjacent gates an important component in the setting of Gliffaes.