Plas y Coed

Cadw's description

Location

Located at end of drive-way running south-eastwards from the area in front of Port Lodge; tarmac area on north used for car parking; garden to south overlooks Penrhyn Park.

History

Built 1878 (date on hopper heads) as house for agent to Penrhyn Estate, at that time Captain Pennant Lloyd, a use in which it remained until the Second World War. It is now a residential home for the elderly, run by Gwynedd County Council. Pennant Lloyd was agent of the estate during the strike of 1874, resolved by the so-called Pennant Lloyd Agreement. Plas y Coed replaced Lime Grove, a classical villa of "chasteness and technical" purity, itsef built by Samuel Wyatt for the agent to the Penrhyn Estate a century before.

Exterior

Heavy High Victorian Gothic-style building, the main range of 2 storeys and attics aligned east-west with entrance front on north. Irregularly coursed rubblestone with Anglesey limestone tooled ashlar quoins and dressings, the main stonework on the south front (except for the right gable) rock-faced; slate roof with coped verges, gabled kneelers and stone crosses to apexes. North front is an essentially asymmetrical composition of 2:1:1:1:3:2 bays, that to the left of the 3-bay section and the outer 2 bays taking the form of full-height gables, that to right considerably projecting. Fenestration virtually entirely of 2- or 4-paned sashes in stone surrounds, some surrounds forming mullioned and transomed windows, others simply to paired windows; entrance is through recessed 9-panel door in Tudor-arched doorway with overlight immediately to left of inner gable; dummy balcony with balustrade directly above. Trefoil-shaped window to attic of inner gable and 2 gabled dormers breaking eaves in 3-bay section. Chimneys are another significant feature, gable ends of outer gables with semi-external stacks plus 5 irregularly spaced stacks to ridges or roof slope elsewhere, all tall with quoins and moulded capping, some with pierced quatrefoils. Cast-iron hopper heads dated "1878". South (garden) front is similar in style but of more ordered form in 2:2:1:3:1 bays, that to the left of the 3-bay section and the outer bays again taking the form of full-height gables. Right gable has 2-storey canted bay window with sloped slab roof, and prominent external lateral stack to right; slate-roofed verandah immediately to left has 3 timberwork trefoil arches over 3 tall French windows with single horizontal glazing bars. Left gable has truncated end stack with C20 fire escape abutting right return.

Interior

Large dog-leg staircase in hall has 2 pointed arches with painted floral capitals to lower flight, which has panelling to sides; hall itself with encaustic tile floor and original fireplace. Principal ground-floor rooms on south, facing garden, both with cornices, one room (the dining room), now sub-divided and the larger (the former drawing room) on east also with elaborate classical-style fireplace; 6-panelled doors.

Reason for designation

Included as a large high Victorian house retaining much of its original character intact and illustrative of the architectural tastes of the Penrhyn Estate at this period.