Pilleth Court

Cadw's description

Location

Lies below Pilleth Church, approached via short driveway off the B4356 Presteigne to Llangunllo road just over a mile west of Whitton crossroads.

History

Late C16 with C19 additions.
The house has important historical associations as it was built for the Prices of Monaughty, the leading Welsh family in the area. It occupies a prominent position close to the church and the site of the Battle of Pilleth and is also one of the earliest brick buildings in Radnorshire.

Exterior

Two storey, L-plan ranges with rear lean-to, two parallel one-and-a-half storey wings to the left, further small extension to the right.

C16 former cross-passage, hall and crosswing (S.wing demolished in C19). Stone rubble plinth, early irregular thin brick walls painted over plus exposed flush stone quoins. Two-storey bay projections in the corner between hall and crosswing and under the gable roof to front elevation of crosswing. Slate roof, hipped to left, two projecting stacks, brick with stone dressings, one to rear, one to right of wing, the latter probably later in date. The C16 range has original openings in the window bays to the hall and the crosswing and the side wall of the crosswing, with stone hood moulds and chamfered surrounds probably in moulded brickwork. The large timber mullion and transom windows with plain deep chamfer mullions appear to be later replacements.

C19 parallel ranges to left have deep sloping slate roof to front and rear. Painted brick with stone quoins on stone plinth over cellars.Tall brick projecting stacks to each gable end, scalloped bargeboards. Regular window arrangement, two-light casements under cambered brick heads. Brick and slate one-and-a-half storey rear lean-to to centre range and brick and slate hip-roofed outhouse to side of crosswing. C19 open fronted gabled porch with Tudor style arch leads into former cross passage to left of hall.

Interior

Original room divisions survive (former panelling and plaster ceilings removed to Gwernaffel House in 1918). Later panelling introduced into the hallway. Massive, late C16, framed oak newel stair in crosswing with deep moulded handrail, carved newel caps and replacement plain stick balusters. Ovolo-moulded two-light timber mullion in former rear wall (now an internal window). Some stone fireplaces with reset timber lintels, fragment of C16 panelled fire surround re-used in C19 wing fireplace. Fragment of plaster frieze over bay window in ground floor of crosswing with cable and rose design.