The Gables

Cadw's description

Location

On the S side of Heywood Lane (B4318) approximately 70m W of the junction with the A4218.

History

Picturesque Gothic villa of about 1847. The house is now divided into 2 parts, The Gables and Gable End, but was formerly all The Gables. The house is said to have been built around a small existing cottage known as Magdalen Cottage, traces of which are said to remain to the rear of the present structure, but the lease dates back to 1847. Part of the small early C19 suburb developed from 1823 by Richard Rice Nash, alderman, the villas generally in the cottage style. Richard Nash himself lived at Rose Villa in 1838 and Haywood Villa in 1848. The house is marked as Heywood Villa on a map of 1849, but called the Gables in 1851, when occupied by H J Smythe, farmer of 360 acres (145.8 hectares). It was offered for sale in 1876 as having undergone extensive improvements in the past few years. Occupied by H Travers Smyth 1911, and by Mrs John Kenworthy 1926.

Exterior

Part of large villa, white-painted stucco with steep slate deep eaved roofs with decorative bargeboards. Tudor Gothic style with timber mullioned and transomed windows with hoodmoulds. Casement windows with marginal glazing bars, and top-lights of 2 lights to each casement. Five gables with elaborate pierced bargeboards and pointed finials, 2 of different sizes on main wing which projects to right and 3 eaves gables to wing to left, now Gable End.
The Gables occupies the two bays to the right which project and contained the principal rooms. N front has largest gable to left with left side-wall rendered stack and smaller gable to the right, with 2 3-light transomed windows to first floor and 2 ornate Tudor style canted bay windows to the ground floor. These have moulded cornices, Tudor-arched heads to casements and also to the top-lights. W end has similar arrangement, large gable to left, small gable to right, 3-light and 2-light upper windows, ground floor plain tripartite 2-4-2-pane sash to right and C20 stuccoed porch to left.
Gable End occupies the wing set back to left, 3 bays, the right 2 close-spaced. Three first floor 2-light windows under gables, and ground floor 2 large 3-light similar windows and Tudor-arched door at extreme right, in angle. Moulded surround with panelled reveals and double half-glazed doors recessed within.
Parallel rear range giving twin gabled E end with bargeboards, 3-light windows to first floor right and left and ground floor left, canted bay to right with 1-2-1 lights, the top-lights of plainer type. Rear wall has similar 2-light window to first floor left. C20 window and porch below.

Interior

Interior said to have many original fittings eg staircase, panelled doors etc.

Reason for designation

Included as part of an ornate early Victorian bargeboarded villa of unusual quality.