Penuwch Fawr

Cadw's description

Location

Situated some 2.1 km E of New Cross, approached down drive from right-angle bend in lane. Disused formal drive runs N to main road.

History

Country house probably rebuilt in mid C19 as detail is late Georgian with a Victorian heaviness. Marked on 1847 tithe map as owned and occupied by Lewis Pugh, who made a fortune at the Copa Hill lead mine and bought the Abermad estate, Llanilar. It was the site of a gentry house of the Parry family descended from the Fychans (Vaughans) of Trawsgoed from the C16. James Parry of Penuwch is recorded in 1674, his son Henry lived 1665-1725, his son Lewis followed, then Lewis' son James, a lawyer lived 1726-99, and his son Lewis sold the estate and died in 1802.
The house is said to have been linked later to the Cymerau estate, Ysgubor-y-coed, and to have been fire-damaged in 1936.

Exterior

Smaller country house, now farm, squared rubble stone with slate hipped roofs, and deep bracketed eaves, stone end wall stacks and rendered stack on left rear wing. U-plan with 2-storey 3-window elevations on 3 sides, but rear door set far back in narrow recess. N front has 3 big 12-pane horned sashes above and broad former tripartite sashes replaced in uPVC each side of centre door. Stone voussoirs, slate sills, 6-panel door with overlight in panelled reveal. Good timber doorcase with 2 Ionic columns, and heavy moulded cornice. Three slate steps. Blocked basement window to left. Left end offset to left has blank windows in bay to right and uPVC ground floor windows, right end is roughcast with 3 windows above, one blank, 2 replaced in uPVC. Rear centre recess has 6-panel door and casement pair above.

Interior

Not inspected at time of survey.

Reason for designation

Included despite altered windows as a substantial house in late Georgian style with good outbuildings, associated with a leading figure in the county lead-mining history.