Dolrhyd House

Cadw's description

Location

To NW of Dolgellau; reached up a short drive. End on to the hillside.

History

First built in l596, by Griffith Nanney; extensively altered and enlarged in later Cl8 (? 1763, contemporary with gazebo and stables), also in later C19. L-plan.

Exterior

3-storey, 5-window coursed local rubble front with central pedimented gable containing 4-pane lunette window; broad lateral chimney breast of 1596 to extreme left (later heightened) with polygonal end beyond. Mostly renewed slate roof (old slates to left end), one rubble chimney stack to ridge and twinned stacks to left hand chimney; several rubble stacks to rear ranges. Bull's eye casement windows to 2nd floor (hinged to centre), dummies either side of centre - that to the left is stripped of its paint. Victorian 4-pane sashes to lst and ground floors. Central pitched slate roof porch (?later) with finial; voussoirs over tall round headed small-pane window to front, similar 4-pane window to left and boarded door entrance to right. The chimney breast has coat of arms in stone frame dated 1835 and initialled V, RW, AM, it is also signed. Below are 7 Elizabethan stones inscribed in Latin. Tudor style labels to left end over lst floor Victorian sash windows; small pane casement and French windows below. Vertical masonry break to return elevation below chimney stack.

2-storey and attic cross range of two periods at rear; the northern part is slightly lower and incorporates a dog-legged lean-to that runs almost the full length of the E side with mainly sash windows and adjoins a further, shallow cross range at the right rear of the main front. Mainly Victorian sash windows to the earlier part and one gabled dormer; cross-frame windows to the later part. Central advanced bay with attic roundel as on main front; splayed bay below and smaller gable over end windows. Small slated canopies on gable end of cross range.

Rubble terrace walls.

Interior

Interior retains stone fireplace with timber lintel to entrance hall; reused Jacobean fireplace and overmantel, said to have been previously a bedhead, to front right room with stop chamfered beams. Cl8 openwell timber staircase with thin turned balusters, acorn newel finials, swept up handrail and 's' carved tread ends.

Reason for designation

Group value with Gazebo or Music Room and Stables and Barn ranges.