Bolnhurst

Cadw's description

Location

To SE of barn at Plas Farm, in garden with slate fencing.

History

Built 1899. By Herbert Luck North (1871-1941), outstanding Arts and Crafts architect of his age in Wales.

The Close was laid out and developed between 1899 and 1945. The almost unaltered buildings (in materials making reference to local vernacular building styles), and the lay-out of The Close, form a textbook example of a group of high quality Arts and Crafts style domestic architecture unique in Wales.

Exterior

Two-storey house at right angles to Close. Rough-cast render (now painted cream) over stone, some stone visible at foundation level. Roof laid in graded courses of small slates from Gallt y Llan quarry, Snowdon. Prominent rendered chimneys, that to L (SW) square sectioned with miniature gabled slated roof on short brick pillars; chimney to R (NE) set diagonally.

Entrance front faces SE. Cross gable to R has semi-circular window on first floor and 2 small-pane casement windows below. To L, roof sweeps down over porch which is set back from gable. Round-headed arch to porch and entrance doorway beyond. Sloping buttress at L angle of porch, and circular window in SW wall. Above porch main roof sweeps over first floor eyebrow dormer. Picturesque gable end facing me Close has massively projecting chimney, and to ground floor, sloping out, hot (rounded corners) with small window to R (lighting ingle). At rear, slated dormer in roof with small windows; small-pane window lights stairs. NE elevation has roof sweeping down over ground floor, and round-headed entrance doorway flanked by small-pane casement windows.

Interior

Porch leads to lobby with wooden staircase. Drawing room with large Gothic arch to ingle-nook, dining room, kitchen and scullery. On first floor, landing with built-in cupboard, three bedrooms.

Reason for designation

Group value with other buildings in the Close and its vicinity.