Nos.1-4 (consec) Cottage Homes

Cadw's description

Location

Set back in their own gardens on the SW side of the road, in a detached position approximately 150m S of Rockfield Lodge.

History

Strong stylistic similarities with Swiss Cottage, Rockfield (q.v.), indicate that the designer was almost certainly Sir Aston Webb. Foundation stone laid by Lord Llangattock of The Hendre dated 1906.

Exterior

A row of 4 almshouse-style single-storey cottages in a striking Arts-and-Crafts Tudor style, built of snecked rubble and some close-studded half-timbering, with freestone dressings and graduated slate roof. The design is symmetrical, with a central through-passage passing between paired cottages which have short coupled back extensions, the low façade articulated by a tall porch in the centre with a feature-gable and end bays with semi-circular gables, all slightly projected and breaking through the eaves. The central porch is canted and has a moulded segmental arch at eaves level, a large carved plaque above displaying the arms of Lord Llangattock, and a coped parapet raised over the centre as a gable with ball finials. Each of the end bays has a 3-light stone mullioned window and a wide semi-circular gable with ball finials. The intermediate ranges have doorways and windows in reflected symmetry (d-w-w-d-w and w-d-w-w-d), the doorways with Tudor-arched stone architraves and board doors, and the windows all of 3 wooden mullioned lights set in studwork. Set against the wall beneath each outer pair of windows is an original bench with railed and arcaded back. The roof has 2 pairs of ridge chimneys and at each gable is an extruded chimney stack. The through-passage is lined with close-studding and leads through to the rear, which has a pair of large gables and windows set in studwork like the front.

Interior

Not inspected.

Reason for designation

Included as a sophisticated and attractive exercise in Arts-and-Crafts style; part of an extensive building programme initiated on the Hendre estate in the late C19-early C20.