Bridges Community centre (formerly Drybridge House)

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the west bank of the River Monnow; in its own grounds at the junction of the roads to Rockfield and Dingestow.

History

Built in 1671 by William Roberts, gentleman of Monmouth and Gray's Inn, who was Receiver and Paymaster of the works at Windsor Castle throughout its great period of remodelling by Hugh May and Sir Chistopher Wren. The house was enlarged and restored 1867 (datestone) for C H Crompton-Roberts. The basic fabric of the main block is of 1671, but it was refeatured and heavily overlaid in a more Jacobethan style in 1867 when service wings were also added. It has been very little altered since apart from the addition of a considerable north-west wing in the late C20.

Exterior

Built of coursed limestone rubble facings with ashlar dressings, red brick wing, Welsh slate roofs with ashlar stacks.
U-plan house composed of a classical Restoration block facing street, with Victorian enrichments in Jacobethan style; similar style to C19 west block and link range.
Symmetrical two storey-plus-attic, five window entrance elevation. Central solid ashlar porch in front of scrolled pediment containing carved cartouche and lettering 'Rebuilt 1671'; heraldic lion over 5-panel main door. Attached two-storey window bays with Jacobethan overthrows and similar outer bays, all linked by weathered stringcourses. Windows are marginally glazed sashes with 3 over 3 panes, except for the attic ones which are 3 over 3 equal panes. Hipped roof swept over bracket eaves broken by dormers and centrepiece; topped by heraldic finial, attic and first-floor windows linked by panel inscribed 'Restored 1867'. Five tall stacks to main roof.
Left return : Similar one-window south end; set-back red brick service wing with two-storey Doric porch in angle beyond entrance to yard. The service wing is mainly of 1867 in detail, but the brickwork suggests that there possibly may be some C18 fabric.
Right return (garden elevation) : Twin ranges to garden frontage treated as before, plus ground-floor splayed bays, timber to left end, ashlar with mullions and transoms to right end, 6-light with two mullions. Large heraldic carving to inner left wall and low arched doorway offset to centre range. Some marginal glazed sashes, some 6 over 6 pane. Added screen walls for modern stair against inner right wall.
Rear elevation with St. George and Dragon panel to chimney breast and tall two-storey, ashlar splayed bay; centre masked by modern extension incorporating a mullioned window with carved heads of the 'Three Sisters' taken from the older house. Further single storey range to south with oriel and a square bay with carving of King David harping. Large wing added to rear in late C20.

Interior

Only the ground floor was inspected at resurvey.
The interior is largely a fantasy of 1867 but some older material of uncertain provenance is incorporated in an eclectic manner, but all made up with Victorian work.
Retains extensive fittings, some apparently from the C17 house plus elaborate C19 furnishings in Jacobethan style. Two-storey entrance hall with beamed ceiling on lion mask brackets; balustraded gallery to inner side over twin (C17?) timber arcades; C19 panelling, doors etc. plus Georgian overmantel. Partly late C17 inner hall with low beamed ceiling leading to large C19 ballroom incorporating C17 features. Plasterwork ceiling with ribs, pendants and Gothic panels in the manner of Treowen; chimney surround, half columns and dado panelling to walls; panelled splays to bay windows with grisaille glass by T W Camm, depicting the legend of King Arthur. Possibly later C17 details include fretwork foliage over doors with carved panels, cherub and fruit festoons. Below the stairs, a stone surround and original studded oak door opening into small panelled room with c1800 marble chimney piece, carved goddess to tablet. Long, panelled stairhall incorporating late C17 chimneypiece with bolection mouldings and pedimented overmantel; unusually fine foliage and fruit festoons carved in the manner of Grinling Gibbons. Jacobethan dog-leg timber stair with pyramid finials to newels; boarded and beamed ceilings.
First floor said to retain some good panelling to doors with raised fields; small marble chimneypieces etc.

Reason for designation

Included in a higher grade for its exceptional interest as an unusual example of a substantial Restoration period house, built by a prominent official in the royal works at Windsor Castle. The house is also important because, though enlarged and altered, it retains a good number of its C17 fittings as well as others introduced in the later C19.