Nos 1 and 2 The Lawn

Cadw's description

Location

On sloping ground between the main thoroughfare, High Street, and Rhymney River and Railway, backing onto the hillside road and overlooking an open area known as The Lawn.

History

c1850, originally occupied by Richard Leybourne, civil engineer and manager at Rhymney Ironworks. The Lawn was a large wooded enclosure of about 20 acres containing 3 large houses built for the Rhymney Iron Company, consolidated 1837; one traditionally used by the Directors, another by the Manager and another by the Surgeon, this house used by the latter. Underneath The Lawn runs Hubbuch's Tunnel. Hubbuch, a manager of the Rhymney Iron Company, built the tunnel on the route of the tramway from Ras Bryn Oer to Middle Furnace: the track ran from the drift mines at The Ras, along the back of The Terrace, through this tunnel under Surgery Hill, with S portal still visible just outside The Lawn boundary, terminating at Middle Furnace behind Forge Street.

Exterior

Large Regency style house, now subdivided. Cement-rendered with hipped shallow-pitched asbestos-slate roof and deep overhanging bracketed boarded eaves; long narrow ridge stack at right angles to
frontage. 2 storeys and cellar. Central 2-window range and stepped back wings to each side with single
window range; single storey rear wings, different to each dwelling. Windows were mostly 12-pane sashes
with sills. No.1, downhill, has mostly UPVC replacements except for main ground floor window which is a
tripartite sash; further tripartite sash of 36 panes to ground floor rear. No.2, uphill, retains 12 pane sashes;
to ground floor a replacement French window. Each house has a 2-window range at first floor to rear.
Flat-roofed porch in angle of set back wing to front of No.1 has steps to outer doorway with corniced surround.

Interior

Interior has double depth plan. Some late Georgian fittings such as 6-panelled doors, surrounds, panelled
reveals and shutters retained.

Reason for designation

Listed notwithstanding window alterations as one of a group of 3 important residential buildings associated with the Rhymney Iron Company.