The Holmes

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 3.1km NNW of Newbridge-on-Wye, reached by private road on the W side of the A470.

History

Doldowlod was purchased by the engineer James Watt of Soho, Birmingham, in 1803, and was developed as a country residence by his son James Watt junior (1769-1848). The Watt family gradually acquired a substantial country estate that continued to expand up to the time of James Watt Gibson-Watt (1831-91). The Holmes was probably built in the 1830s and is shown on the 1840 Tithe map.

Exterior

A 1½-storey cottage of squared rubble stone, random rubble sides and rear with bigger quoins, and tooled dressings, steep slate roof with wavy barge boards and stone end stacks. The symmetrical 3-bay front has a central entrance in an advanced gabled bay. It has replacement double-panelled doors and 2-pane overlight in a chamfered surround, and 2-light casement above. The outer bays have 3-light wooden mullioned-and-transomed windows under flat arches. Added lean-tos are set back on both sides. The L-hand has a blocked camber-headed doorway with inserted 2-light casement. The R-hand has a similar doorway with boarded door. The 2-window gable ends have replacement metal-framed attic windows under wooden lintels. The lean-tos have a similar window and a doorway, blocked to the R-hand, and with boarded door to the L-hand. The 3-window rear small-pane wooden cross windows under cambered heads, and a central gabled dormer with 2-light small-pane casement window.

Interior

Not inspected.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-detailed C19 estate cottage of definite quality retaining original character and detail.