Y Dolydd

Cadw's description

History

Former Llanfyllin Union workhouse. 1838, by Thomas Penson, Montgomeryshire County Surveyor, who had been pupil of Thomas Harrison, of Chester. Designed according to principles published by the Poor Law Commission in 1835, with a central supervisory hub and flanking wings enclosing segregated exercise yards. Became Public Assistance Institution circa 1930, then an old people’s home in the post-war period, with some alterations especially to windows and internal lay-out. Closed in 1982, and empty for a while before acquisition and restoration by a building preservation trust.

Exterior

An ambitious and well executed classical design including a fine entrance block, representing one of the more architecturally significant workhouses.

Largely unaltered, typical (for the period / type) cruciform plan with four wings (aligned NW-SE, and SW-NE) radiating from central octagonal section; four courtyards formed by further blocks attached at right angles to wings (range of buildings lost from S courtyard). Dark rubble with paler dressings and quoins to entrance front, red brick dressings to wings, some blue brick dressings to late C19 / early C20 alterations.

Central three-storey section has square cupola with pyramidal roof, restored 2020, rectangular red brick chimney to each arm of cross. Four lower two-storey wings radiate from central section; many retain original local red brick lightly cambered voussoir lintels but have generally been deepened (also some tall windows inserted); some windows especially in SW wing have blue brick dressings. Generally early / mid C20 small pane glazing with some original cast iron window frames. Ends of SW and NE wings have attached cross ranges in similar style.

At end of NW wing is entrance range with front facing NW. Two storeys, shallow plinth, seven bay central block plus advanced gabled end blocks; band course between floors. Central block has on first floor, small pane metal windows; on ground floor round-headed windows, third and fifth bays are round-headed doors. Round-headed openings have keystones impost blocks which connect between openings. Gabled end bays have, within recessed arched surround (keystone and impost blocks), round-headed window (with keystone) to first floor, Venetian window to ground floor. At entrance block ends, single storey sections with hipped outer roof slopes. North and W courtyards have additional two-storey pavilion-like blocks in same style, whose NW-facing gabled ends have, within recessed arched surround, blocked round-arched window (first floor), and blocked square-headed window (ground floor). E courtyard closed by low block with hipped roof, connected to SE wing by wall (former similar block to S courtyard demolished).

Interior

Well preserved original plan form, with two original staircases in central section, and some surviving detail in the entrance area.

Reason for designation

A fine example of an early C19 workhouse, surviving largely intact with strong architectural character with an expressive use of plan form typical of the new movement of workhouse construction following the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act.