North Stable Range at Llangybi Castle Farm

Cadw's description

Location

Approached up a drive off the west side of the Usk-Caerleon road about 800m north of the centre of Llangybi village.

History

Combination service building constructed in c1700 to a formal design and forming a part of the formal approach to the contemporary Llangybi Castle House (demolished 1951). This building was the stables and kennels of the Llangybi Hunt with most of the upper floor devoted to pigeon houses. The stables were refitted in the mid C19. It remained in use until the present hunt kennels were built and is now partly converted to an estate worker's house. It is recorded that the estate was mortgaged to John Hanbury of Pontypool Park in 1699, presumably to pay for the new house and service ranges, and this mortgage was not paid off until 1761.

Exterior

The range is rendered throughout, probably over local sandstone rubble, and has a concrete interlocking tile roof and a red brick chimney. Large rectangular two storey block with a balanced front, although rather altered at the east end with late C20 windows and an extension. Central elliptically headed entrance arch with five bays to either side, unaltered to the left and altered to the right. To the left are four cross framed casements and a central doorway with panelled door. The ground floor is smooth rendered up to a band at lintel level. Above this are five bullseyes with doveholes. Above the archway is a 4 + 4 pane casement in an arched recess. To the right the first two windows, the door and the three bullseyes are all as before but the last two bays have been altered with modern small paned doors and windows. Roof hipped over all with a single off-centre stack. Two bay extension with lower roof line and modern features to the right hand gable. The gables and the rear elevation are blind except for bullseyes.

Interior

The interior of the stables still has its Victorian fittings with looseboxes, stalls and tiled floors. The ceiling has the remains of c1700 plasterwork. The entrance is spanned by two beams with quarter round mouldings to the chamfers. The kennels have mostly been converted to domestic use. Upstairs are attics for the doves with large span principal rafter roofs with collars, ties, three tiers of purlins, ridge piece and secondary rafters all complete.

Reason for designation

Included as a well preserved early C18 service range from an important historic estate, which has group value with the adjoining south range.