Penrho Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Set back in its own grounds near the E end of Gwibnant.

History

Built as the Vicarage and first shown on the 1871 Ordnance Survey.

Exterior

An asymmetrical house incorporating Georgian detail in an overall Gothic-influenced form, of 2 and 3 storeys with attic to 4 unequal bays, of coursed hammer-dressed stone with slate roof behind coped gables on moulded kneelers and stone stacks to the centre and ends. The end kneelers in the rear elevation retain carved lions; the 3-storey service bay retains an apex ball finial to the front, while a similar finial is missing to the rear. The entrance front, facing N, has wedge lintels to the windows, which are mainly hornless sashes, and a sill band to the upper storey across the centre and L-hand bays. The doorway is offset L in the bay L of centre in an ashlar surround with simple pediment above the first-floor sill band. The doorway has a keyed round arch and has a recessed fielded-panel door with fanlight. Upper R of the doorway is a 12-pane hornless sash window. To the L end is a projecting gabled bay with 12-pane sashes, horned in the lower storey and hornless above. The 2 R-hand bays comprise the original service rooms. The bay R of centre is 3-storey. The lower storey is recessed beneath a corbel table and has a 16-pane sash window. In the middle storey are two 8-pane sash windows under drip moulds, and in the upper storey similar but paired sash windows under a linked drip mould. The 2½-storey R end bay has a hipped roof, and is in line with the lower storey of the bay R of centre. It has a 16-pane sash window offset to the L in the lower storey, and above it a pivoting 4-pane window beneath the eaves. A large hipped roof dormer is slate hung and has a 2-light casement.

The L (E) end wall is banded between storeys and has a 2-pane horned sash window in the side wall of the gabled L-hand bay to the front elevation, set back to the L of which the elevation is gabled. The rear, or garden front, has a bay structure and details similar to the front, with the principal rooms on the R side and service rooms to the L. In the 2 R-hand bays are 2 upper-storey small-pane tripartite hornless sash windows with sill band, while in the lower storey are inserted French doors to an added conservatory. The 3-storey service bay L of centre is recessed in the lower 2 storeys, while the upper storey is on a corbel table and in line with bays further R. In the lower storeys are 16-pane sash windows, while the upper storey has paired 8-pane horned sash windows under a hood mould. The L-hand bay is in line with the bay to its R. It has inserted French doors, 6-pane horned sash window above, while the large roof dormer has a 2-light casement.

The R (W) end wall of the service wing has, in the lower storey, a 16-pane hornless sash window lower L, and a half-lit door with fixed glazed R side panel, both with leaded lights, to its R, while in the upper storey is a 2-light small-pane casement. A gabled projection abutting the R-hand angle has a 2-light casement facing the service wing doorway. Abutting this at right angles is a longer added single-storey snecked-rubble projection. Facing the garden it has a boarded door to the R and windows to the centre and L under large rubble lintels.

Interior

The central entrance hall retains an open-well stair with wreathed handrail. The principal rooms beyond have been combined into a single room, retaining a neo-classical chimneypiece.

Reason for designation

Listed as a well-detailed C19 vicarage retaining strong architectural character.