Llansor Fawr (Great Llansor)

Cadw's description

Location

Standing above the Carleon-Usk road facing west and about 500m west of Llanhennock.

History

Probably of two dates, late C16, say c1590 and early/mid C17 say 1630-40 when the house was given a considerable upgrading by a yeoman farmer, but development is difficult to describe without a more detailed inspection. The house was again upgraded and extended in the Victorian period with a new porch and ground floor windows on the main entrance elevation, lean-to service extensions at the rear and the conversion of part of the house into a granary. There has been further demolition and alteration in c2000, but this has not affected the appearance of the house to any great extent.

Exterior

The house is built of thinly coursed red sandstone rubble with some dressed quoins and ashlar window dressings; it probably would have been plastered originally; Welsh slate roofs with some corrugated asbestos sheeting at rear. Three-room plan with service wing projecting forward at left; the use of this wing was originally domestic but was converted to granary and stable in the mid C19, projecting stair wing and kitchen lean-tos at rear of main range. Two storeys, with attics in part.
The entrance elevation of the main range has three bays. Central mid/late C19 porch with gothic head and bargeboarded slate roof. This is flanked by tripartite sashes with 1 over 1 flanking 2 over 2 panes under elliptical brick heads. The upper storey has 3-light stone mullioned casements with pointed heads. Steeply pitched roof with truncated paired diamond set chimneys to right gable. Right gable end not seen.
Advanced service wing to the left has floor levels below those of the main range. The ground floor has a single sash window to right with 4 over 4 panes. The first floor has two mullioned windows with pointed heads and drip-moulds, a 4-light one to the left now blocked and possibly reset, and one of 3-lights to the right, this one has a relieving arch above. The walling above, which is blind, shows some indications of disturbance and this, with the differences to the left hand window, may be part of the Victorian conversion to a granary which necessitated heightening. The wing now descends to probably its original height for one more bay and this has a 2-light window with pointed heads and sunk spandrels to each floor. Steeply pitched roofs to both sections of the wing, but no chimneys and no external evidence for them. The gable end has no window to the ground floor, a 3-light one with relieving arch to the first floor and a blind and partly damaged 3-light one in the gable above. The left quoin of the gable has neatly squared stones, with the upper ones long-and-short, the right quoin has none of these and a crack from top to bottom on the front wall.
The rear elevation of the main range has, on the left a Victorian lean-to which covers the whole of the rear wall to just below the eaves, tall brick chimney. Large hall lateral stack with paired diamond set shafts; the lower part of this is hidden by a late C19 or early C20 lean-to with a 3-light casement and a Welsh slate roof. Projecting gabled stair wing with squared quoins, 3-light replacement timber casement between ground and first floor and 2-light one in the attic. The right return has some disturbed walling where a probably late C19 lean-to in the angle between the stair wing and the main range has been removed (c2000). Large gabled dormer with 2-light casement in the attic of the wing, tall rebuilt stack on the ridge where the wing joins the main range. Modern 3-light casement on ground floor of main range to right.
Right return has a large 5-light window on the ground floor (c2000) below a hidden joist. Corbelled stack for first floor room above this, flanked by 2-light casements, two blocked garret windows in the gable. The rear of the wing has an external staircase to a gabled porch for the first floor granary, door to storeroom below; the end section of the wing has a plain door to the lower room.

Interior

Interior only partly available at resurvey and late C20 alterations were seen. Short flight staircase round a solid core. Cross beams with roll and ogee mouldings. Post-and-panel screen gone, but part incorporated as wall panelling.

Reason for designation

Included as a late C16 to early C17 house with well preserved features and character.