Garn-hill and attached garden terrace

Cadw's description

Location

On a south facing slope NE of the hamlet of St Andrews Major, reached by a long drive from the hamlet and set in terraced gardens.

History

Designed by J Coates Carter, the notable Glamorgan architect, plans published by Alexandrer Koch of Darmstadt in 1893. Built for a clothier and since 1912 occupied by the Green family. The original fireplaces were tall and tiled incoporating grates. Built near the old farm of Garn-hill shown on the Tithe Map of 1840.

Exterior

Small country house in Arts and Crafts style and designed to a modified 'butterfly plan' (as pioneered by Prior and Lutyens). Built of rustic style random stone rubble with rock-faced dressings, tile-hanging to gables and some applied half-timbering; tiled roofs with deeply overhanging eaves and tall, narrow brick corniced chimneys set in clusters and at an angle to the narrow stone stacks set astride the ridges and within the roof pitch. Irregular plan of a main entrance wing, a N cross wing comprising service rooms to rear and reception room to front, small entrance porch at the rear angle between the two, a slightly angled S wing with a further angled bay attached and a deep verandah adjacent. Windows are latticed and mullioned, some replaced with UPVC. Very asymmetrical elevations. S elevation fronting garden and valley has 3 wide segmental-arched ground floor openings, a doorway off-centre with remodelled glazing and flanked by curved 3-light windows and to either side a window with mullions and transom set within the arch. At end right is the deep hipped roof of the verandah supported on posts set on a deep terraced stone wall. Above each opening at first floor level is a window; at centre a small canted bay with replaced glazing set within the panel of applied half-timbering close under eaves, at either side a tile-hung dormer, latticed to left, replaced to right. Windows also at gable ends, small two-light to downhill wing first floor; to uphill wing a small canted oriel window with pitched tile roof to ground floor with above a wide tri-partite bedroom window with replaced glazing giving views of garden. The angled end bay on downhill side has a decorative tripartite ground floor window and 3-light window above. Main entrance is to rear, a highly asymmetrical elevation with multipane staircase window above the tiled roof porch; adjacent to the porch at left is a curved bay with conical roof and above small oriel windows under the eaves; plainer casements and separate doorway to the service wing to right. Uphill-facing elevation has mostly replaced glazing. Terrace enclosed by the garden facing wings incorporates a stone tabernacle possibly from a former churchyard cross and extends to the verandah which has a flagged floor. It is bordered by a low wall with shallow coping and stone steps leading to lower levels.

Interior

Interior plan is centred on the wide entrance hall with archway to garden terrace, off which lead the rooms in each wing - kitchen and service to uphill side, dining room at uphill front, main living room on downhill side, the staircase to rear. It retains almost entirely its original layout and many fittings including extensive oak panelling and plank doors with applied circular motifs; some alterations to fireplaces. The main reception room down 4 steps at a lower level is divided from the hall by an open arch on clustered columns rising from a wooden balustrade incorporating some decorative splat balusters; the tri-partite window in the angled bay to left which incorporates coloured glass gives the impression of a tower alcove; to right the wide arched recessed garden window incorporates window seats. On first floor are a series of bedrooms overlooking the garden leading off side landing and rear passage.

Reason for designation

Listed for its architectural interest as an imaginatively designed house by a prominent Glamorgan architect.