Llwyn Derw

Cadw's description

Location

Set back on the N side of Ffordd Morfa Bychan, approximately 0.7km SW of Porthmadog town centre.

History

Built in 1900 by D.O. Morris, architect of Barmouth, for Arthur and Mary Edwards, descended from the Homfray family of North Wales quarry owners.

Exterior

An Arts-and-Crafts 2-storey house of snecked stone in the lower storey, pebble-dashed painted white in the upper storey, and timber-framed gables. The steep hipped slate roof has replacement brick stacks to the front and rear eaves of 4 diagonally set shafts. The relatively modest NE entrance front has a 2-storey gabled porch on the R side. The entrance in its side wall is under bracketed canopy, and has a fielded-panel door with small-pane glazing. The front wall of the porch has a 2-light window in the lower storey and paired sash windows in the upper storey of 4 over single panes. A 2-light window is on the L side.

The asymmetrical SE elevation facing the road has advanced gable to left with timber framing at apex; roof brought down to left over set-back kitchen and veranda. Right of the gable, the roof is hipped over a bay window. The kitchen has inserted double-half-glazed doors that open to a recessed veranda wrapped around the rear elevation. The veranda has thin rock-faced monolithic piers and simple rock-faced balustrade, except on the R side where there is a coursed stone, square chamfered pier and similar respond. The rear (SW) has a triple 2-pane sash window to the kitchen.

The R (NW) side wall faces a steep bank. To the L of centre is a large wood mullioned and transomed 3-light stair window. Further R in the lower storey is a 2-pane sash window, boarded door under a 2-pane overlight, another sash window and small-pane window in the lean-to that was formerly a doorway. In the upper storey are 2 pairs of 2-pane sash windows either side of a single sash window.

Interior

The porch leads into a stair hall with principal rooms on the L side. The open-well stair has tall square newels, simple balusters and moulded tread ends. Fireplaces are set across the corner of the main rooms in the lower storey, one with an oak fielded-panel surround, the other with freestanding fluted posts, panelled back and enriched with relief-moulded tiles.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-preserved Arts-and-Crafts house of interesting composition and fine detail, including some good interior features.