Cwmgwili

Cadw's description

Location

Set in its own grounds approximately 2.5km NW of Abergwili.

History

Probably a C16 house (evidence for which is a large external stack) built on a sloping site, and perhaps built by Charles Vaughan who settled at Cwmgwili in the last decade of the C16. The house was remodelled and extended in the early C18, perhaps by Griffith Lloyd, who married Ann Vaughan after 1678 and died in 1714. This phase of work comprised the addition of a wing built across the slope, forming an L-shaped house. Since 1714 the house has been owned by the Philipps family. It was further modified in the early C19 when a porch was added to the C17 wing, which now became the main entrance. The rear elevation was also remodelled. From the porch an arcaded corridor was built at the rear of the house, balanced by a further blind arcade added to the R of a stair projection. A photograph of 1871 shows that originally the porch was castellated, as were the blind arcades in the rear elevation which have subsequently been replaced. A service wing was added at right angles to the downhill end of the original house in the C19.

Exterior

A 2-storey country house with attic and basement, comprising a 5-bay main range with single-storey porch in its R gable end, cross wing to the L gable end, incorporating the original house and with rooms set at a different level, which in turn has a 2-storey service wing behind at the downhill end. Walls are rendered and painted, the roof is slate with crested ridge tiles and C19 brick stacks, on moulded and bracketed eaves. The main range has thin sill bands, 2-pane sash windows in original openings, and 3 gabled dormers with 6-pane sash windows. The basement has 2 small windows. The porch at the R end is rendered brick with half-hipped lean-to roof. It has a panelled door (replacing a half-lit door shown in a photograph of 1871) under a hood mould. The cross wing has a single bay brought forward, housing a C19 service stair, with renewed small-pane horned sash windows. Set back further L, where the roof line is lower, are 2 bays with 6-pane horned sash windows, larger in the lower storey, and basement windows.

The R side elevation of the porch has 3 hooded windows with late C19 margin-lit sashes. The rear elevation, facing a steep bank, is near symmetrical, with projecting square stair tower in the centre. This has diagonal buttresses and stone banding. In the lower storey is a half-lit panelled door, with a Venetian window to the lower landing and Diocletian window to the upper landing. To the L of the stairs is a 5-bay arcade of round arches with thick impost band, incorporating 2 round-headed sash windows lighting a corridor leading from the porch to the principal rooms. To the R side of the stairs is a similar blind arcade of 5 bays. On both sides the walls have been heightened in brick above the arcades, retaining an original stone band to the L side, with inserted windows and brick castellations.

The rear of the cross wing faces a service yard on the N side of the house, and is dominated by a large projecting stepped stack, with 12-pane sash window upper L. Further L is the 2-window gable end of the main range, where windows are not placed consistently in line. At basement level is a fielded panel door under a gabled canopy, flanked by 2-pane sashes. Above are 2-pane sash windows in the lower storey and 12-pane sashes in the upper storey.

The lower service wing also faces the yard. It has 4 boarded doors in the lower storey, of which the L-hand has a gabled canopy and the centre-R door has an added attached window. In the upper storey are two 16-pane sash windows. In the R gable end is an archway beneath raised walkway to a ty bach attached to the upper storey. The rear wall of the service wing has 3 windows in the lower storey, 2 of which have flat brick arches, 16-pane horned sash window upper L and 4-pane sash window upper R.

Interior

The principal rooms are reached by a corridor along the rear elevation. Most rooms have fluted pilasters and plastered spine and cross beams with plastered panels. Walls have painted wooden panels, windows have wooden shutters. In the main range, the 2-bay end room has niches flanking the fireplace, the 3-bay room next to it has Ionic pilasters flanking the fireplace. The full-height open-well stair is in late C17 style, but is probably early C19 but much renewed. It has square moulded newels and twisted balusters.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* for its architectural interest as a house of C16 origin with significant and well-preserved work of the early C18 and early C19, retaining overall external character, with good and consistent interior detail.