Coach House and Stable Range at Y Plas

Cadw's description

Location

Located SW of Plas mansion, at the end of a private access road leading S from Llansteffan village.

History

Built and dated in 1788, part of a development contemporary with the new Plas Mansion, for Hugh and Susannah Mears. It is marked on the 1840 tithe map as the property of John Mears. The elemental neo-classical design, without ornament, is interesting for the date and suggests the work of an exceptional architect.

Exterior

Coach house and stable block to Y Plas. Large square lofted coach-house between single-storey stable wings. Rubble stone with remnant of original stucco. Slate roofs. Centre block has 3 outsize arches separated by squared stone pilasters with raised imposts. The three big fanlights light loft with tripartite small-paned glazing. Centre arch below is stuccoed with flat-headed small door. Matching flanks have tall, paired boarded timber doors with small-paned glazed, narrow rectangular overlights. Keystones inscribed - '17' to left, '88' to right, and 'H + S' to centre. Pyramid slate roof with 4-sided timber central clock turret, with miniature gabled slate roof and boarding in gables. Painted clock face has no numerals.
Wings had broad, central flat-headed opening flanked by narrower arched headed openings, and slate roof. Set back within broad opening is wall with 3 arched openings with radiating-bar fanlights, a large doorway flanked by 12-pane sash windows with slate sills. Narrow paired panelled timber doors. S range has door and window detail surviving, and slate roof remaining to front, asbestos sheet to rear, N range is roofless, with the flanking outer arches extant, but lacking the flat headed central opening, presumably collapsed. Internal paired doors visible, but partly collapsed, with red brick arched head surviving. Flanking sashes now also in advanced decay, similar red brick heads.

Interior

Central block has single large ground floor chamber, with timber stair retaining baluster rail, leading to upper storey. Interior walls stucco rendered throughout. Clock mechanism still extant, though badly corroded. Boarded timber walls divide upper storey into three areas, with central clock housing. Large roof trusses with bolted frames and cross beams to angles to maximise loadbearing efficiency of the walls. Small, long first floor rear room set slightly lower. South range largely altered internally, with 1950's suspended ceiling, now largely collapsed, and animal pens of similar date removed. North range now roofless.

Reason for designation

Included at II* as a good extensive outbuilding range of remarkable formal design and having group value with Y Plas.