The Hollies and front wall, railings and gate

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at S edge of the town, set back behind terraced lawn.

History

House of multiple phases, originating in the late C18 as a two-storey stone-built house, raised by a storey in brick, probably in the early C19, and with a rear wing added possibly at the same time; extended/remodelled in the late C19/early C20. Marked on 1833 map as owned by John Jones and on 1839 Tithe map as owned by Martha Jones, occupied by William Powell Cooper. A large malthouse stood at right angles, to right, until the late C20.

The house retains a remarkable collection of stencilled wall decoration in the principal rooms on the first floor. Stencilling was a short-lived practice, in use from the medieval period but revived from c1790 to provide colour and pattern where expensive wallpaper was not affordable, primarily in the houses of the lesser gentry or more affluent trade classes. It was quickly superseded by wallpaper when the tax on printed wallpaper was abolished in 1836 (in force from 1712). Stencilling was then almost invariably lost to redecoration and altered interiors and it is now extremely rare for it to survive as intact schemes. Stencilled decoration survives elsewhere in Wales such as at Southwood Farm, nr Roch, Pembrokeshire, and at Pibwr Lwyd in Llangunnor, Carms. where extensive and elaborate whole room schemes survive. It is likely that the stencilling at the Hollies belongs to a period when the house was relatively new, possibly at the time it was owned by Mr Jones, and still fashionable as a middle or lower-middle class house with stencilling used to provide colour and pattern to otherwise blank or colour-washed walls. The decoration at the Hollies is relatively restrained and comprises ranges of small scale repeated floral patterns, the same pattern is applied throughout a room and a different pattern has been used in each room. It may be that similar patterns to those surviving were originally applied throughout the house (on the ground floor) but have been lost with subsequent redecoration.

Exterior

Detached house, rubble stone with top floor of red brick, modern concrete tiles to roof and brick end-wall stacks. Three storeys, three bays with three square 12-panes sashes to added top floor, and 16-pane sash windows with stone sills and cambered brick heads to ground and first openings. Central entrance in brick gabled porch. Six-panel door in moulded frame with the top four panels glazed. N end gable has marks of original roofline. S end gable with modern window to each side on ground floor and small-paned iron 2-light to attic. Earlier C19 extension to rear SW with brick walls and slate roof. Front rubble stone retaining wall of large irregular blocks of green stone, with coping and iron railings of four plain horizontal rails with plain uprights, 15 sections to left of gate, 4 to right. Tall C19 iron gate with circular uprights and dog bars, the uprights with fleur-de-lys finials. Scroll tops to outer uprights.

Interior

Six-panel fielded-panelled doors in entrance hall at base of oak stairs with straight balusters. S room with plaster panelled ceiling, the two beams in moulded plaster casing. N room has exposed square ceiling beam and joists. On the first floor the 3 rooms across the front are decorated with stencilled patterns directly on plaster: the room to the right (N) has a dark blue border around a doorway with repeated patterns of flowers, leaves and stars (presumably the border would have been applied around each opening in the room) and dense (peony?) floral pattern on each wall (surviving best in a cupboard recess to the rear). In the landing area (above the entrance) there is a dense grid of ivy leaves with a gold guilloche type string border on a dark background. To the room on the left the pattern is less distinct and consists of a larger floral pattern in blue.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as a substantial late Georgian detached house, with good surviving character including interior detail and rare examples of late C18/early C19 stencilled decoration.