Highgate

Cadw's description

Location

The house is in a row on the NE side of the main street, E of the bridge.

History

The house became the childhood home of David Lloyd George in 1864 when, following the death of his father, he was brought to his mother's home village to live with his uncle, Richard Lloyd, shoe manufacturer, until he left home in 1880. David Lloyd George was born in 1863, entered parliament by a narrow majority as the Liberal member for Caernarfon Boroughs in 1890 and became Prime Minister during the Great War in 1916, serving in this post to 1922. During his time as MP he is best remembered for introducing legislation setting up the Old Person's Pension (1908), the People's Budget (1909), and the National Insurance Act (1911), as well as his active prosecution of the war. He returned to live in Llanystumdwy in 1944, dying here in 1945.

Exterior

The house is built of river boulders, the front remodelled c1810-1820 when it was raised to two storeys with roughly coursed galletted rubble. The original grouted slate roof was replaced in slate in the 1980s. The front is of two storeys, 2 bays, with a central framed and boarded door and 16-pane sash windows to both floors, the doors and windows renewed. Between the upper windows, a painted wooden trade sign reading RICHARD LLOYD / GWNEUTHURWR. Below, a recent slate panel identifying the building as Cartref David Lloyd George 1864-1880. The rear clearly indicates the two builds. Gable stacks.

On the left, a single-storey cobbler's shop with a similar boarded door and large 18-pane shop window. Low gable end stack.

Interior

The interior consists of a main living room to the left of the door with a slate floor and a Coalbrookdale range in the stack. The stair with its stick baluster rail is opposite the front door, and a parlour to the right retains its original iron fireplace and a boarded partition dividing off a service room at the rear. The upper floor rooms retain matchboarded ceilings, partitions and doors, and a fireplace in the E bedroom.

The workshop is open to the roof, with a large stone stack and firebeam. The central truss has bolted collars, one re-used, and two tiers of purlins. The inner lintels over the openings are round pole timbers. Undergoing refurbishment at the time of inspection.

Reason for designation

Included at Grade II* as a good vernacular village house restored to reveal its C19 character, and as the childhood home of one of the most important radical MPs and Prime Ministers of the C20.