Fron Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Located to the W of the lane, set in its own grounds and approached from the SE via a private track.

History

A sub-medieval farmhouse, on the Nerquis Hall estate by 1734, when tenanted by Henry Lloyd. Extended to the SE and extensively remodelled in 1765, and further altered in the late C18/early C19. Mentioned by Thomas Pennant in 1778 as 'the seat of the ingenious the Reverend Mr. Richard Williams', for whom rebuilt.

Exterior

Irregular Georgian house of 2 storeys. Rendered stone under a medium-pitched slate roof. Asymmetrical facade of 7 bays. Off- centre entrance bay with flanking, advanced gabled sections, that to the R (W) of 2 and that to the L (E) of 3 bays. A further bay to the L. Late C18 single-storey porch with stepped access. Wide, round- arched entrance with moulded architrave, plain key and Tuscan pilasters with plain bases and capitals. Similar flanking pilasters and plain entablature with moulded and dentilated cornice. Later glazing to the porch. Part-glazed 11-panel door with half-glazed flanking panels and tripartite fan. 12-pane windows to porch reveals. Elegant 15-pane sash windows to the ground floor with 12-pane windows above, the former with projecting stone cills. Moulded, projecting porch. The ground floor window to the L bay is set back in an arched niche. The first floor window in the centre of the L hand gabled projection has a moulded entablature and segmental pediment supported on scrolled brackets. Continuous apron beneath the first floor window line with blind balustraded panels beneath all windows except the 2 to far R. Large early C19 12-pane tripartite window to E face, with upper wooden transom and cambered head. A similar, though smaller window above.
Irregular rear elevation with 12-pane sashes to L section with a single-storey porch extension, extruded in the corner between the main range and a 3 bay storeyed projecting wing. The latter has a hipped roof with slightly oversailing eaves and an apron as before, though without the balustraded panels, continued onto the right hand recessed bay. Projecting cambered stone voussoirs to 12-pane slightly recessed sashes with projecting stone cill band.

Interior

In the ground floor room to the R a simple dentilated cornice and a plain white marble chimneypiece. Flanking glazed cupboards with ogee tracery. All early C19. The L rooms have panelled shutters and dado and 6-panel doors. Black marble fireplaces with carved wooden surrounds with egg-and-dart motifs, dentils and rosettes. Early C19 well staircase with turned balusters and fluted columnar newels.

Reason for designation

A mid and late Georgian house retaining several primary features.