Great Marlborough

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 3km W of Grosmont, at the end of a long farm track which leads NW off the minor road from Llanvihangel Crucorney to Grosmont.

History

An important late C17 3-unit gentry house. Fox and Raglan describe the house as 'spacious and remarkable'. The entrance doorway is said to be the first example in Monmouthshire of a late C17 6-panel door with moulded frame and raised panels. Formerly, all the mullion and transom windows were decorated with fine dentil detailing, similar to the mouldings on the porch at High House, Penrhos dated 1675. This important C17 decoration survives on the doorframe of the front entrance, the architrave of the parlour fireplace, but on only one transom frame (in the SE gable). In the C17 and C18 Great Marlborough belonged to the Springet family. The house has undergone extensive late C20 repairs.

Exterior

Substantial, late C17 farmhouse: L-plan, with projecting rear wing at SW end. Red sandstone rubble, dressed quoins, hipped slate roof. Stone chimneys with plain oversailing course at cap: lateral stack at back of main house, and ridge stack to wing. Symmetrical, two-storey front faces NE. First floor has five window openings with flat heads and stone voussoirs and thin stone sills. C20 2-light transom windows have 1+1 fixed panes above transom and 2+2 pane windows below. Ground floor central entrance doorway has C17 dentil decoration on door-head and jambs; C20 6-panel door. Above is C20 flat door canopy supported on angle struts. Flanking the entrance are similar transoms, two on each side; these have similar flat window heads but with segmental relieving arches above. SE gable (first floor) has important surviving late C17 tall two-light mullion and transom window with similar dentil decoration. Attached to the NW end farmhouse is a two storey gabled porch. The side wall has Tudor arched wooden doorframe with roll moulding to head and jambs and 5-pane rectangular overlight. Gable-end of porch has 2-light transom on first floor and doorway with monolithic stone lintel and keel moulded jambs below. To right of porch is a C20 single storey gabled addition. Rear elevation has end-wall of wing to left and back wall of house to right. In the angle of the wing is a C20 single storey addition which extends along the back wall of the house and has slate roof with hip on angle (to right).

Interior

Three unit plan with hall and parlour at front and service room and stair in rear wing. Ground floor rooms have 8-panel doors (some are re-hung). Parlour fireplace surround has original C17 dentil decoration to architrave. Fine late C17 staircase has closed string, square newel posts and turned balusters.

Reason for designation

Substantial late C17 house with important Renaissance features including symmetrical facade, fine surrounds to SE window and front door, and good interior detail.