Cilsant

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at the end of a long drive off a minor road some 2 km SE of Cwmbach village.

History

Gentry house of the C18. Recorded as one of the principal medieval estates of West Wales, in the same family for 650 years. Llwch Llawen Fawr is the first recorded, in the C11, Lewis Glyn Cothi addressed elegies to owners in the C15, and the family adopted the name Philipps in the C16, the last, William Philipps dying in 1747. John Williams Esq was resident 1748-61, thereafter it was tenanted. It may be that the old house adjoined the present one which looks of the later C18 as in 1861 a visitor recorded that most of the old mansion had been pulled down except for an outbuilding called the Old Kitchen said to have been a chapel. T.H. Lewis of Cilsant, (d 1867), is buried at Llanwinio church.

Exterior

House, rubble stone with stuccoed front, slate close-eaved roofs and big stone end stacks, L-plan. Two-storey, three-window front with 4-pane horned sash windows and big C18 8-panel fielded-panelled door in oak frame. C20 glazed porch. Part-stuccoed right end wall with loft light. Painted rubble stone left end wall and rear wing, to left. Small loft light in end wall and no obvious structural joint to wing. Wing has small brick end stack, two close-spaced 4-pane sashes to first floor over ground floor lean-to, and similar sash to right. Lean-to has C20 glazed door. A wing at right angles appears C20 but may be remodelling of older building. Original rear wing has loft light in end gable over large lean-to with concrete tiles and 2 windows, and outshut rear in angle to main house, the outshut with 4-pane sash over door in side wall. Rear wall of main house is windowless.

Interior

Interior modernised. Two rooms to front with timber-lintel fireplace in left room, heavy beam and joists in right room. Rear wing has large fireplace and 3 large beams. Small cellar under stairs. C19 dog-leg stair. First floor has 3 C18 5-panel fielded-panelled doors and 4 large beams. Rear wing has blocked stone steps up to first floor. Main range has 5 collar trusses, with pegged collars. Rear wing has 3 collar trusses to double-purlin roof, the third with curved principals showing that roof has been raised, probably when front range was built.

Reason for designation

Included as a gentry house retaining C18 architectural character (including some interior timberwork), and with historic interest as the seat of a well-documented medieval estate.