The Croft

Cadw's description

Location

Immediately adjoining the lychgate at the south entrance to the Churchyard of the Church of St Nicholas in the centre of Trellech village.

History

A house of apparently C17 origin but very considerably rebuilt in the late C19 and early C20. It is dated 1686 and 1908. There is no clear evidence of pre-C19 structure visible outside or in. The house is said by Bradney to have been the village school founded by Zachary Babington in 1691. The school continued here until c1820 when it moved to the new building (The Babington Centre), or this may possibly have been in 1830 when the daily school was founded in Trellech. The house shows some evidence of c1830 work, for example windows on the rear elevation, which may correspond with a new owner at that time. Its major character is now late C19, or perhaps c1908, as dated on the front, when C17 Revival was popular.

Exterior

The house is built of squared, coursed sandstone with stone and Welsh slate roofs. It has a C17 type hall-and-crosswings plan and is of two storeys. The centre bay is of three windows with projecting gabled wings at each end, each of which has a three flued stack on the outside wall. All casement windows with 3 + 3 panes. Between the wings and concealing all of the ground floor of the central bay is a glass conservatory. The gable ends are dated 1686 and 1908. The rear elevation has a mid C19 hipped wing projecting to the left. This has a 3-light casement window under an elliptical head on the upper floor. To the right of this is a small wing with a pointed head window and a 2-flue stack. To the right hand end is a gabled wing with a door and a 3-light window below and two 2-light casements above. All these features are C19.

Interior

Only a part of the ground floor was seen at time of resurvey. The ground floor has a central hall with beamed ceiling on brackets and a late C17 type stair and joinery. This is all late C19 or later.

Reason for designation

Included as a building with important regional historic interest and for group value with the other listed buildings in the centre of Trellech village.