Ashdale House

Cadw's description

Location

Some 600m SW of the church at Llangwm approached by a long drive from the S at Hill Mountain.

History

An C18 gentry house originally of 7 bays. It was extensively altered c1840 by George Lort Phillips, including the addition of a full-height bow window and perhaps also a rear wing, and was described as a ‘handsome modern mansion’ by Samuel Lewis in 1843. An early C19 view seems to show a double-pile house, and a photograph of c1901 shows the entrance in the 4th bay, with a large bow window in bays 6 and 7. Following a valuation and reports carried out in 1900 and 1902, the house was reduced in size for use as a farmhouse, rather than maintaining it as a ‘gentleman’s residence’. The rear wing containing the kitchen and dairy was taken down, and the rear pile was reduced to a single storey under an outshut roof. At the front of the house bays 6 and 7 were removed and the entrance was moved to the 3rd bay of 5 bays, in order to keep a symmetrical front. The slate roof was also replaced at this time. The 8-pane sash windows shown on the photograph of 1901 were also replaced in the C20. In the 1970s the interior was remodelled and a new attic stairway was built.

Exterior

An C18 Georgian-style house altered in the early C20, built of roughcast rubble stone under a renewed slate close-eaved roof and brick end stacks. Two storeys and attic, five-window symmetrical front with three slate-hung hipped dormers, which have 6-pane sashes. The main floors have 8-pane horned sash windows in original openings, longer on the ground floor. The windows have slate sills, except for the window R of centre which was previously a doorway. The door is 6-panel with lattice tracery in the overlight. It is set within a good mid-C18 wooden doorcase with Ionic half-columns carrying entablature sections with pulvinated friezes and overall dentil cornice. The outshut has 1970s rear windows and a stair window with 12-pane sashes. The tall narrow gabled section to the L was added in the 1970s. Set back in the L-hand end wall is a 1-storey flat-roofed projection with modern door.

Interior

Interior mostly 1970s but good dog-leg stair with column newels, scrolled tread ends, turned column balusters, three per tread, and moulded rail. Attic has five C18 oak collar trusses. Although rear is said to have been reduced from a range of similar height to front range to present sloping roof there is some old plaster on the sloping underside of the roof at first floor rear that suggests some part was outshut. The main stair apparently had a further two flights up to the attic, that would have required a taller rear range, marks of removed third flight on first floor landing. Stairs to attic now in C20 rear corner section. First floor landing has two fielded panelled doors and one with bordered panels.

Reason for designation

Included despite early-C20 remodelling as C18 gentry house with good original doorcase, staircase and roof.