Garden View

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on a wooded bank approximately 180m NE of The Hendre.

History

Built for the Head Gardener to the Rolls family of The Hendre, almost certainly designed by Aston Webb in the 1890s.

Exterior

A long, low building, "half-timbered" in a convincing East Anglian close-studded style, with a confident consistency which is characteristic of Sir Aston Webb's work for the Rolls estate at Hendre. It has a red brick plinth up to window sill level, close-studding above that, and graduated slate roofs with red brick chimneys. The plan is L-shaped, the main range on a N-S axis, with a gabled crosswing at each end and a service wing attached to the rear of the N crosswing. It is single-storeyed except for the S crosswing, which is 1½-storeyed. On the W elevation (overlooking the gardens of The Hendre) the main range has three 2-light casement windows and 2 ridge chimneys; each wing has a jettied gable with a cambered bressummer beam and a canted 4-light bay window beneath this, the gable of the N wing has uninterrupted studwork and the gable of the S wing, which is higher, has 3 tiers of studwork and a 3-light casement between the rails. Both have bargeboards and slightly swept eaves. All the windows have leaded glazing. The N side of the N wing incorporates the main entrance: a shallow lean-to porch towards the rear, the front open and the side with weather-boarding between brick piers and a 3-light casement in the upper half, protecting a board door with a circular glazed panel; and the only window on this side is a 3-light casement, one light of which is within this porch. At the rear of this wing a smaller roof with eaves at the same level forms a bridge to an otherwise detached former wash-house, leaving a wide portal to the back garden. In the middle of this portal is a simple post and rail fence with a central gate. The N side of the wash-house has a 3-light window, the S side has a short projection with a part-glazed door flanked by windows and a hipped and swept roof; and a chimney stack to the W side of the wash-house breaks through the main roof-ridge. The rear of the main range is now covered by a modern lean-to with a corrugated sheet roof.

Interior

In the N wing is a sitting room with an inglenook fireplace.

Reason for designation

Listed for its inventive use of vernacular-revival style (comparable in quality with Swiss Cottage and Nos 1-4 Cottage Homes in Rockfield), attactively adapted to the nature of the site; and one of an important series of buildings associated with the Hendre estate.