Nos 1, 2 and 3 Mawddwy Cottages

Cadw's description

Location

The block of 3 dwellings stands apart at the S end of the road.

History

Minllyn is a planned village associated with the anticipated expansion of industrial enterprises in the Mawddwy area, particularly the development of the slate industry. This was first established around 1800, including some metal extraction, proceeded with the development of a tramway to connect to the Mawddwy Railway, brought to Aberangell after 1865. The impetus came from Edmund Buckley, whose father, a wealthy Manchester industrialist, purchased the estate in 1856. He intended to develop Dinas Mawddwy as a model village, with new education facilities, a hotel, and chapels, served by the railway which was officially opened in 1868, the year he was elevated to the baronetage. Once the main road was diverted out of Dinas Mawddwy, Buckley built a mansion, Plas Dinas in 1864-7, Minllyn Cottages, 1868, and Mawddwy Terraces, 1870-76, all for his estate and industrial workers, his architect being James Stephens of Manchester. Nos 1, 2 and 3 are also occasionally known as Mawddwy Cottages.

Exterior

The building is constructed in a robust mountain-Gothic style, of local slate stone rubble, roughly coursed, with slate roofs, the S elevation rendered and lined out. Two storeys, No 1 occupies the S elevation, No 2 the W elevation on to the road, and No 3 the N elevation. Wavy bargeboards to gables, the W elevation having a central gable. Each elevation has a steeply gabled porch near the centre, with an open outer pointed arch, also with shaped bargeboards. 12-paned sash windows set back under a 2-centred arch of stone voussoirs, there being one window each side of the porch, and one above it to the W elevation; N and S elevations have windows to first floor only. No 1, Awel Dyfi, has the door replaced with a modern glazed door and screen in the porch, and uPVC tilting windows. No 2 has UPVC windows but retains boarded door within the open porch. No 3 retains the original window to the ground floor, and a panelled door within the open porch, but has timber 2-light casement windows to the upper floor.

Reason for designation

The group represents a good example of later C19 estate architecture, employing an interesting cluster plan, and a robust gothic style which was deemed apt for its mountainous location. With other buildings in Minllyn, part of an interesting attempt to establish a model community on the estate.