Gardens House

Cadw's description

Location

One of the associated structures in the gardens of St Fagans Castle and part of the Museum of Welsh Life. The house is sited to the north of the formal gardens.

History

Built in c1865 as the Head Gardener's house for St. Fagans Castle and thus one of the 1860s improvements to the gardens by the Plymouth Estate. It was probably designed by W P James of Cardiff who was working at the house at the time, where he provided more characteristic red brick chimneys. It appears to have been built as two joined houses, presumably for the Head and Second Gardeners; the wing has a lower status treatment without the stone window surrounds. Previously the site had been that of the Rectory, but the site was purchased in 1859 and the house demolished in 1860 and a new one built in Greenwood Lane (qv). Gardens House is now used as offices by the Museum of Welsh Life.

Exterior

Rendered and painted, probably over local rubblestone, dressed window surrounds, Welsh slate roof. Two storeys, T-shaped with additional wing to the cross of the T. The main house has a porch in the angle facing the garden, hipped slate roof over timber arcade and single window. Two small windows above, 3-light window on the ground floor of the gable to the left, blind above; smaller windows on either floor to the right. North return has a window below and one in a gablet above. Wing with glazed door, and two below and three above windows of different sizes. This wing does not have dressed window surrounds. Street elevation with windows as before. The wing has a hipped roof. Five red brick stacks with tall diamond set shafts; all paired except the centre one which is tripled.

Interior

Interior not inspected at resurvey.

Reason for designation

Included as one of the structures associated with the gardens and estate of St Fagans Castle and as one of the group of historic estate buildings in the centre of St Fagans village.