Penlan including attached cottage formerly known as Dwyfor.

Cadw's description

Location

In an elevated position, set back from the E side of Bull Street in the village of Maentwrog; to ESE of the Church of St. Twrog.

History

Early-mid C19. Not marked on the tithe map of the parish, 1840, but built on part of Tir y Llan, owned by Louisa J Oakeley of Plas Tan-y-bwlch and occupied by Cadwaladr Evans. Although the house is not shown on the tithe map the steps leading up to the house are indicated, which suggests that the house was either under construction, or planned at the time of the survey.
William Gruffyd Oakeley (1790-1835) was only 21 when he inherited the Plas Tan-y-bwlch estate and set about an ambitious programme of improving the estate. This entailed new building in the village of Maentwrog and rebuilding or improving the existing buildings. In order to do so he opened a quarry near Gelli Grin from which was quarried the large lengths of brown stone present in so many of the village buildings. Penlan appears to have been faced with this stonework and the construction is similar in style to the nearby terrace of houses abutting the Grapes Hotel.
The house appears to have been built in 2 parts and originally comprised 2 separate dwellings.
Offered up for sale in the auction of the Plas Tan-y-bwlch estate, 1910, in Lot 12 'The Picturesque Rural Village of Maentwrog'. The property was described as Penlan - a pair of cottages, occupied by J E Davies and Mary Griffiths, for an annual rent of £4-0s-0d (£4.00) apiece.

Exterior

Substantial house comprising two parts or builds. Built within the Georgian tradition, characteristic of the early C19 phase of improvement on the estate. Coursed rubble masonry, the principal elevation has coursed blockwork with large stones as quoins and lintels. Slate roof with deep overhanging eaves.
The house to L (N) is a 2-storey, 3-window range with central doorway and 16-paned hornless sash windows with slate sills. The roof has rectangular stone gable stacks with dripstones and capping.
To R (S) is a 2-storey house or wing that has a full height bow to L with french windows under a first floor 2-light casement window with moulded label. To R there is a gabled 2-window front of sash windows; unequal sashes at first floor. Across the front of the range is a slate roofed verandah on timber piers. Entrance to the RH range is through a panelled door to L of the S wall, to R is a window and there are windows set under the eaves above with moulded labels; to R an unequal sash, to L a blocked window.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at the time of the survey (June/July 2003).

Reason for designation

Listed as a fine mid C19 estate-built house in the Georgian tradition, retaining original character. Forms a group with the adjacent houses overlooking Bull Street and the other buildings at the centre of the estate village of Maentwrog.