Branas Lodge

Cadw's description

Location

Off the N side of a lane which follows the River Dee between Llanderfel and Cynwyd. Set back from the road in large gardens with a steep hillside and waterfall to the rear.

History

Tudor-Gothic-style house, probably early C19, and shown on the tithe map of 1843. It was occupied by Rev. John Wynne (vicar of the parish 1825-70), before he moved to Tyddyn Llan in the 1870s. A pair of former farm ranges, adjoining the E side of the house, were made into garden structures and a garage. Meanwhile, a group of farm buildings in the angle of the road and driveway, now partly altered, may have been built away from the house to preserve its gentry character.

Exterior

Two-storey, 2-window square-plan house with rear wing to N. Constructed of random stone with quoins, partly rendered, under a shallow hipped slate roof with wide boarded eaves; central yellow brick ridge stack. Tall round-arched 2-light wooden windows with gothic glazing, some renewed, the arches of stone voussoirs. Entrance front to E; garden fronts to S and W.

The E side has a 2-light window to R of lower storey, the square-headed lights with stained glass, and 2 small cruciform windows to the upper storey. Lean-to porch against rear wing supported on 2 posts, the L bay glazed and with a half-glazed boarded door. Inside porch, panelled door to L return, into main range. Inside central open bay of porch, 3-light window under round arch. Above the porch, to L, is a cruciform window, probably a stairlight.

The S garden front is partly rendered and has a canted bay window to R with hipped rooflet and brick base, containing a horned sash with Y-tracery. Casement window above with trefoil-headed lights. The windows to L have Y-tracery, a horned sash above a replaced casement window.

The W garden front is mainly rendered and is 3-window, the rear wing continuous with the main block. Canted bay to R under hipped rooflet containing French doors, arch above with intersecting glazing; side lights with Y-tracery. Two-light casement to centre; later window opening to L with segmental brick head, with C20 glazing. To upper storey, window above canted bay has lights with cusped heads, central window has trefoil-headed arches. To L, window with segmental head, as below. Rear of wing has C20 lean-to.

Adjoining the E side of the house are former farm ranges, now garden buildings. Attached to the porch is a tall boundary wall of rubble stone with string course and parapets, with small round-arched window offset to R. It forms the S side of a single-pitched range. This is linked to a gabled building at right angles, probably a granary originally and now a garage. The W side has steps to a 1st floor doorway to L and a small chimney stack to R; S gable end has a round-arched opening and a circular vent to apex. Two wide bays to E side, with 2 round-arched openings above.

Interior

No access to interior at time of inspection.

Reason for designation

Listed as a small well-proportioned gentry house with fine Tudor-gothic detail.