The Mount

Cadw's description

Location

About 400m to NW of Chepstow centre, in gardens above road, commanding views across the Wye and Chepstow Castle. Visible from many parts of Chepstow.

History

Mid C19 house, known to have been occupied by 1840. There had been a house on the site by 1786 called The Mount, Mount House or Mount Pleasant House. Reputedly originally the site of a watch mound related to the nearby Roman Road to Caerleon. Around 1840, the house was bought by Joseph Alexander Dorin for his wife Anna who lived here until her death in 1863. Dorin became a senior figure in The East India Company. An article by Brenda M Cook details the family history, and notorious court case resulting from J A Dorin's bequests to his illegitimate children. Henry Clay lived here until 1875, and H A Smith, Chairman of the Chepstow Local Board died here in 1893. The house was owned by the Peglers, a family of chainstore grocers, before becoming a school, and then offices. Rear annex built 1890s.

Exterior

Mid C19 villa. Three storey, three window-range house. Front faced in Bathstone, sides and rear rendered; hipped slate roof behind parapet, swept to sides; chimneys reduced. Fluted cornice with corner rosettes, band courses at sill level. Windows are all plate glass horned sashes. On top floor, central sash window flanked by tripartite sashes. Similar arrangement on first floor, but central window has architrave with cornice. On ground floor, stone porch with replaced double doors and replaced rectangular overlight, flanked by splayed bay windows with sashes extending to ground level. To left, a short single-storey block with sash window with bracketed cornice, then a block with splayed bay comprising 4 windows facing S, the side window blocked; balustraded parapet to the bay and stone urn finial at the junction. To right, similar short single-storey block with urn. N elevation has a projecting ground floor with pedimented portico supported by paired columns, flanked by blocked openings, deeply recessed double doors and at end left a triple sash window, cornice and parapet above. To rear, courtyard formed by parallel 2-storey 6-window range service block and walls. Elevation of service block facing house has first floor oriel window; rear glazing modernised.

Interior

Central hall with panelled dado and C19 wooden stair. Early C20(?) baroque doorcases to L lead to large panelled office whose moulded ceiling decoration dates from C20. On fireplace, inscription, "The panelling and book cases in this suite of offices was taken from the steamships SERVIA and ALASKA the first "greyhounds" of the Atlantic". Rooms to R of hall retain ceilings, cornices, doors, and some panelling probably from later C19.

Reason for designation

An early C19 house, retaining most of its character on prominent site above historic town centre of Chepstow.