Treworgan Manor

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 3 km SSE of Raglan on the W side of the road to Llansoy, on a rise overlooking Treworgan Common.

History

Early C18 red brick gentry house of Renaissance central entry plan, incorporating part of a house of c1600 to the rear. Bradney recorded an inscription, now gone, DP 1605, on a carved shield on the S end of the later range. Owned from the C17 by the Pritchard family. Walter Pritchard, d 1625, supposedly played bowls with King Charles I on Raglan Castle terrace. His son Thomas was admitted to Gray's Inn 24 June 1650. Sold in early C18 to Nathaniel St Andre of London, and again in 1738 to Captain Thomas Griffin RN of Richmond, Surrey, whose sons held it successively. In the C19 owned by Francis McDonnell of Usk, and in 1885 a Mrs. Evans sold it to Edward Frost of Newport.
The rear SW range is part of an earlier house of c1600 with a massive mast stair that relates to similar examples at Alltybella 1599 and Trevella 1601. Fox & Raglan note a shaped doorhead and reserved chamfered window to this part of the house. The front range with fireplaces on the rear wall relates to a group of formal houses such as Great Marlborough, Grosmont, of c1680, but Fox & Raglan date Treworgan to c1710 from the bolection-moulded parlour panelling. They note the survival of ovolo-moulded windows in secondary positions even at this date. The NW 2-storey service wing, almost detached appears to be contemporary with the front range.

Exterior

Gentry house, c1700 front block of red brick, with slate roofs and two brick stacks on rear wall. Formal 5-window, 2-storey front with raised brick band, timber eaves cornice, and 9 timber cross-windows with brick voussoirs to flat heads. Centre double doors of 10 raised and fielded panels in a lugged timber architrave. Marks of a large pediment or gable on wall above doorway. N gable end has similar window to each floor and a 4-pane small sash window to the loft, S gable is rendered with first floor and loft windows, and 2 added buttresses. Almost detached NW service wing at right angles in similar brick, with end stacks, that to E larger. Two-storey, 3-window N front with similar band and small 2-light ovolo-moulded timber mullion windows above casement pairs with centre door. Similar mullion window to E end wall over similar casement pair. Nogged brickwork to chimneys. Rear SW parallel range of c1600 is rendered, gabled to S, irregular casement pair windows on S stepped to follow stair within..

Interior

Two room front range with centre passage, hall to N, bolection-moulded panelling to parlour to S including integral fireplace surround. Above the fireplace and inset into a frame is a modern copy of an oil painting of the house set in formal gardens of 1660. The original is held at St Fagan's Museum. Large raised and fielded 6-panelled doors with lugged architrave. Room to the N has 5-panelled door to side hall. To the rear in c1600 wing is a spiral oak mast staircase rising from cellar to loft with panelling to the walls, the steps replaced with board risers and treads in C17. 15" diameter at base. Planked and ledged doors with strap hinges. Said to have a barrel vaulted cellar under with outside door enlarged for cider barrels.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as a fine Renaissance house of two periods with good interior detail including a mast stair of c1600 and formal front range with panelled room of c1700.