Blackbrook House

Cadw's description

Location

Standing in its own grounds in a commandingly elevated position on a SE spur of high ground W of the Black Brook, with views down the Monnow Valley towards Skenfrith.

History

Probably built between 1796 and 1815. According to Bradney's History of Monmouthshire it was erected by Col. the Hon. John Lindsay, 7th son of the earl of Balcarres, who had acquired the property after 1796 and sold it in 1827.

Exterior

A late-Georgian country house of modest scale, on the site of a small medieval manor of the castle of Skenfrith. Built of stuccoed rubble, with a shallow hipped slate roof; apparently altered, and recently renovated. It has a compact double-pile rectangular plan, the main axis being N-S, and is 3-storeyed, with the principal façade to the E. This is a strictly symmetrical composition, 1:3:1 windows, the outer bays projected and the recessed centre spanned at ground floor by a light Tuscan colonnade with a dentilled cornice. Behind this 2 large rectangular 4-light windows with slender horizontal glazing bars flank a narrow window with glazing bars (perhaps formerly a doorway). The projected outer bays each have a narrow French window at ground floor, with horizontal glazing bars. The 1st floor has tall 12-pane sash windows and the 2nd floor has square 6-pane sashes. There is a dentilled and moulded eaves cornice which carries round the whole building, and a pair of lateral chimney stacks on the roof ridge of this side (flanking the centre). The 3-window S front, which is flush and has a hipped roof, is likewise symmetrical but with much larger windows: large segmental-headed tripartite sashes flank a round-headed niche at ground floor and a narrow segmental-headed 12-pane sash at 1st floor, and the 2nd floor has 3 wide tripartite lunettes, all these windows having slender glazing bars. The N side, which overlooks the service courtyard, has the same sort of windows but in the outer bays only, the only other openings being a pair of small 12-pane sashes flanking the centre line at 1st floor, and a simple doorway at ground floor which appears to be an insertion; and the hipped roof has M-profile. In the W side, originally the rear but now the main entrance front, the only feature of note is a broad centre bay breaking forward slightly and containing a large Venetian stairwindow; beneath which is now a large modern glazed porch, and above it a shallow segmental-headed tripartite window.
Attached to the NW corner is a long rubble-built single-storey service wing, which forms the W side of a service courtyard enclosed by brick walls on the other 2 sides.

Interior

Not accessible during this survey, but when first listed it was said to include "a noteworthy full height stair round spacious well and with variously-shaped landings". Pevsner and Newman (2000) record a bowed gallery at 2nd-floor level (see references below).

Reason for designation

Included as a good late-Georgian house retaining fine external detail.