Uwch y don

Cadw's description

Location

Set back from the NW side of the country road between the villages of Llanfwrog and Llanfaethlu; c1.25km NNE of the Church of St Mwrog.

History

Early C20 minor gentry house, built for John Williams of Mynachdy. The house does not appear on the 1901 OS map of the area but is featured on the 1926 edition. It may be the work of the County architect, Joseph Owen since it is similar in style to other of his buildings in the area.

Exterior

Asymmetrically disposed 2-storey house with single storey service wing to the R (NE) end. Built of local stone, with pebbledash rendered elevations and freestone dressings. Roof of green Devon slate with red clay ridge tiles and stone gable parapets; slender, rectangular, rendered axial and end wall stacks. Projecting verges with scrolled brackets.
The entrance elevation faces the road to the SE, with advanced central gabled bay with gable parapet flanked by ball finials. The doorway is offset to its left, under a stone hood, with window directly to its right and a further porthole window with keystone to R (NE). First floor stair window of 4 mullioned lights. To the right (NE) of the advanced bay are 4 ground floor and 3 first floor windows, all small paned single lights; to the left is a rectangular ground floor bay window set across the SW corner of the house. The windows of the bay, and the rest of the house are top-hung casements with 6 or 8-paned lights over 1 or 2-paned fixed lights below. Rear elevation of 3 bays; canted bay window to ground floor right; dormer gables over offset central bay and to right; windows (paired to ground floor and to first floor in wider right hand bay) all have small upper panes.

Interior

The porch has a studded timber door and mosaic floor; the inner door leads into a central hall with principal rooms leading off, and the corridor to the domestic quarters and servants stairs to the right (NE). The hallway is dominated by the floriate Art Nouveau glass of the stair windows, and entrance and cloakroom doors. Dog-leg stairway with half-landing; moulded wreathed handrail over shaped balusters and newel posts. The house retains panelled doors, window reveals and soffits. Many of the rooms with moulding coving, dado and picture rails. The ground floor pantries retain the original cupboards; maids pantry with sliding panelled doors.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good early Anglesey Arts and Crafts house expressively planned and retaining good detail externally and internally. It is one of a notable series of homes from this period on the island, possibly the work of local architect, Joseph Owen.