Bettws Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

At S end of village, W of church, in small landscaped grounds with gated entry and curving drive up to balustraded terrace.

History

Earlier C19 house, in late Georgian style, possibly part rebuilding of something earlier as a house is recorded on site in 1704 built for Rowland Priddy. marked to same outline on 1842 Tithe Map, as Bettws Mount, owned and occupied by Thomas Arthur, with 47 acres (19 hectares).

Exterior

Small country house. Colourwashed roughcast (painted coursed stone 1990( with deep-eaved hipped slate roof and yellow brick end wall stacks. Three-storey, 3-window main range with 2- storey, one-window wings set back either side. Painted plinth and rusticated quoins. Wide boarded and bracketed eaves. Small- paned sash windows, mostly 16-pane, but smaller to centre first floor and upper floor. Horned to 1st floor on wings. Moulded stucco surrounds with keystones and brackets to sills. Central porch with parapet, pilasters and chamfered corners; round doorway with fanlight over panelled door; small round headed lights to sides and flanking lions 'couchant'.
The remainder of the building is mostly pebbledashed. Stone balcony on right end formerly with steps leading up to camber headed doorway - then the only access to the 1st floor of this part of the house. Attached rubble wall serves as boundary between front drive and rear stable yard. At the left end of the house there is a lean-to and cobbled path.
At the rear, the main block has striking bowed stairwell projection to the centre, with eaves and roof similarly rounded; 12-pane sash to 2nd floor and sash with marginal glazing bars below. C20 2-storey lean-to extensions either side adjoining the cross wings which end in gable ends facing the garden; these have camber headed casement windows.

Interior

Well preserved Georgian interior with 6-panel doors, reeded architraves and panelled shutters throughout. Wide variety of chimneypieces and fire grates; the dining room chimneypiece is fluted and that to the main(S) public room is gilded, one 1st floor bedroom has iron grate depicting swans and lions with garlands and swags, another 1st floor grate is dog toothed with reeded surround. Segmental headed recesses to rear walls of two main rooms; small drawing room has reeded skirting. Good Minton tile floor to entrance hall. Cantilevered winding timber staircase with simple balustrade. Boarded doors to servants wing which also includes a chimneypiece with barley twist columns.

Reason for designation

Included as a handsome smaller early C19 country house in the late Georgian style, within own miniature park.