Gorffwysfa including attached railings

Cadw's description

Location

Set back slightly from the main road and immediately S of the entrance to the churchyard.

History

House of c1800 with central stair and entry; one of the back kitchens is C18 suggesting an earlier house here. The building is shown on the tithe map of 1841.

Exterior

Long symmetrical 2-storey 3-window range faced with large blocks of coursed stone under a slate roof with stone end stacks. Central entrance containing a half-lit panelled door with overlight, inside a trellis porch with flat leaded roof and round-arched entrance. Wide 16-pane hornless sash windows, those flanking entrance with flat heads of stone voussoirs. Three windows to upper storey with timber lintels. No openings to S gable end; stone lean-to against N gable end, formerly a C19 dairy, with C20 planked door and 2-light wooden casement under a continuous timber lintel to the W end, and small light to N. The rear has 2 adjoining gabled kitchen wings with late C19 exterior detail; the gable walls have been partly rebuilt in red brick. In the L return of the L wing is the rear entrance, with C20 half-glazed wooden door to L and 2-light wooden casement to R, both under segmental brick heads. The upper storey has a similar 2-light casement to R and a very small light to L. The R return of the S wing has a C20 2-light wooden casement under a segmental brick head, above which is a gabled half-dormer with similar window. To the R of the wings is an outshut against the main range, partly in red brick. It has a C20 3-light window, above which is a small casement, and a blocked opening to the end.

Wrought iron railings are attached to the front of the house and bound a small garden. Alternate twisted uprights and plain uprights with fleur-de-lis finials stand on a brick and slate plinth. A single gate L of centre opens onto a path to the front door; double gates to R of centre. Posts adjacent to gates have urn finials. The railings join the churchyard wall to the R end, and curve round and join the house to the L end.

Interior

Central stair-hall flanked by reception rooms with 6-panel doors. Open-well staircase to R side with turned balusters and newels and a moulded handrail. Main reception room to L has very wide stone fireplace with substantial timber lintel. Ceiling has spine beam with shallow chamfer. Parlour to R of stairhall has plastered spine beam, moulded dado rail, and small decorative marble fireplace; there is said to be a cellar beneath. The kitchen occupies the 2 rear wings, which are open-plan. The earlier L wing has an old fireplace with timber lintel, a spine beam with shallow chamfer and plain joists. The R wing has a brick fireplace with flat-arched head. Upper storey not seen, but the stairs are said to continue to an attic, where the trusses have tie-beams and collars.

Reason for designation

Listed as a particularly fine and well-proportioned vernacular house of the late Georgian period.