Nantcaerio

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 1.5 km E of the centre of Llanbadarn Fawr just N of the A44.

History

Gentry house of c1847 by C. Hatchard of London, built for Dr John Morgan (c1807-1870), consulting surgeon with practice in London, who married Elizabeth Evans (d 1868) in 1833, and rebuilt the house previously owned by his father Thomas. At the house there is said to be an unexecuted design dated 1842 by W.F. Pocock for a gabled Tudor house, and 1847 plans for the house as built, by Charles Hatchard of 82 Ebury St, London. Also plans of 1878 by George Jones & Son of Aberystwyth for a large extension, as built. There was an undated C19 garden plan with the basis of the terraces as built. Next owned by Dr Morgan's son, Dr John Thomas Morgan (1842-1922) JP, High Sheriff 1890, and his wife Frances Hannah Jones, who died 1928. He was also a surgeon, trained at St George's Hospital, but described as 'not in practice' in 1881, member of the first Cardiganshire county council from 1889. Occupied by John Burrell in 1926. R. Geraint Gruffydd, librarian of the National Library and later director of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies lived there in later C20.

Exterior

Gentry house, Italianate style in unpainted stucco with slate hipped roof with deep eaves on shaped brackets, in pairs and threes. Rendered stack on ridge to left. Five-bay S front, 2-1-2-bay, the centre recessed, the outer sections with quoins. First floor square 6-pane windows in moulded surrounds, ground floor French windows with top lights in moulded surrounds with pediments on console brackets. E end has one similar window each floor and angle quoins. Rear lean-to has end-wall door recessed in cambered headed entry. Double half-glazed doors within. A raised band above and a small embossed plaque to first floor. A big pier with flat cap divides lean-to from single-bay entry to rear yard with moulded surround to cambered-headed entry, and bell-opening above under curved shouldered gable. Small cement niche each side of bell and crude finials to gable sides and apex. Attached at right angles is former stable, lofted 5-bay with slightly recessed centre. Four shuttered windows with simple pediments over and centre door with plain cornice on consoles. Upper floor has coped parapet, rectangular opening to centre and long recessed panel each side. Slate roof behind is monopitch. Rubble stone E end wall.
W side is longer than E, 2-window range, the windows to right as on E side, those to left simpler, square window above, 12-pane sash below. Rendered ridge stack. To left is added later C19 almost separate house with matching brackets to eaves and hipped roofs with rendered stack on ridge to left. Two-storey W front, 1-3-1-windows, the centre a full-height canted bay, plain 4-pane sashes with centre ground floor glazed door. Set-back service section to left, similar eaves, 4-pane sashes, larger each floor to left, and 2 narrower to right over narrow sash and door with overlight. Hipped N end with rubble stone wall and brick framed ground floor windows. Similar long E rear wall, 6-bay with flat eaves and brick framed 4-pane sash windows, one small-paned stair light to left. Main range has stuccoed N side to rear court, 3 6-pane sashes above, one 12-pane, not aligned below.

Interior

Front rooms not available for inspection. Spine corridor with later C19 Gothic stair off to right, open well, pitch-pine. Four panel doors.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantial gentry house in late Georgian style, one of the remarkable group of houses around Aberystwyth built for members of the professional classes.