Castle House

Cadw's description

Location

Prominently sited to N of the castle and entered through the same iron gates.

History

Early Georgian classical house said to be ca 1730; Regency alterations and enlargement ca 1810; internal modifications by Clough Williams-Ellis for the author Richard Hughes who occupied the house 1934/5 to 1946. Shallow U-plan.

Exterior

3-storey, 5-bay rendered front with advanced 3-bay frontispiece. Low pitched slate roof concealed behind freestone blocking course on wide cornice, similarly dressed end chimney stacks. 9 and 12-pane sash windows with cills; broadly spaced tripartite windows to central bay, Venetian type to 2nd floor. Renewed broken pedimented doorcase with dentilled cornice and reeded pilasters to large 8-panel door, flanked by narrow lights as above.

Flat Dutch gabled side elevations; rear access through rubble gate piers at right end with rubble chimney breast. Cross range to right altered by Williams-Ellis, sash windows, with broader glazing bars, reaching almost to ground level. Asymmetrical rendered rear with cross ranges; voussoir lintels to sash windows. C19 colourwashed rubble former servants'''' hall extends E beyond tall rubble chimney stack.

Interior

Fine Regency interiors retained, including entrance hall with barley-twist banding, cornices and classically fretted architraves to massive panelled double doors, which when folded form a ballroom to front of the house; smaller panelled doors lead to public rooms, blind panelling to dining room with animal head cornice and arched niches dentilled cornice to drawing room with Regency fireplace and oval metal fastenings to window shutters. Archway with keystone and classical detail leads to stairwell retaining fine cantilevered (with later support) staircase, wave moulded treads and curved handrail.