Plas y Wenallt

Cadw's description

Location

Situated about 1.2 km SE of Trawsgoed on bank above E side of main road.

History

Late C18 to early C19 smaller gentry house, apparently built for Trawsgoed estate, enlarged in later C19 for Robert Gardiner, agent to the estate. Marked on 1845 tithe map. The graveyard at Llanafan has memorials to John Hughes late of Wenallt died in 1796, and his wife, died 1807; Rosina Preston Sibbald of Wenallt died 1843, and her husband Robert died 1856; and Ellen Edwards of Wenallt, died 1874 (some may relate to Wenallt Farm). Occupied by Robert Gardiner from late 1880s to early C20 and from this time dates the enlargement, which included the estate office with separate porch for use of tenants and workers. Occupied in 1926 by Sir Robert P Wright, chairman of the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. Used in 1930s as Llanafan vicarage. Marked on 1845 Tithe map with wing coming forward to left but not rear additions.

Exterior

House, painted C20 render with slate eaves roofs. Two storeys, the original 3-bay house surviving to right with large later C19 extensions to form a roughly cruciform plan. Original house has N front with right end C19 corniced stack and C19 overhanging eaves on right gable end. Front has hornless 12-pane sashes and centre original 6-panel door with radiating-bar fanlight in rectangular frame. Altered columned porch has original columns and half-column responds, the flat top simplified in C20. A wing at right angles comes forward to left with two 12-pane sashes each floor, C20 concrete sills. N end wall has door with overlight and 12-pane sash to first floor left. Marks of an outbuilding that continued N. E side is outshut with chimney on roof slope, rubble stone E wall with ground floor openings.
Rear S has one bay of original house to left with ground floor sash (another above blocked), and then broad gabled projection with side-wall long stair light to left and sash each floor right. S front has deep eaves, small 12-pane attic sash, large 12-pane first floor sash and 2 larger 12-pane ground floor windows. Stone sills. Right side wall has side-wall chimney, 12-pane sash over lean-to timber porch, the roof hipped to left. Within porch are bench seats on 2 sides and 6-panel door into house. One-bay range to right has roof hipped to SE, one first floor hornless 12-pane sash and ground floor projection with lean-to roof and triple window (to office), the roof joining porch roof to left at right angles. Office window has fixed panes to side lights and 12-pane sash to centre, plain rendered piers.

Interior

Entrance hall enlarged in late C19, room to right remains of early house with 6-panel early C19 door, windows with panelled shutters on front and back walls and 2 round arched shelf recesses with architraves, small acanthus-leaf rose in roundel to ceiling. Late C19 staircase to rear in extended hall, opened to include former front left room, shutters remain. Four-panel door to large rear drawing room. Office, used as estate office, has massive safe by S Willens of W Bromwich and separate entry from rear porch.
First floor has some earlier C19 6-panel doors, to W room, centre room and 2 to linen cupboards.

Reason for designation

Included as a smaller Georgian gentry house of architectural character, with additions of the later C19 of interest as the estate office for Trawsgoed estate.