10734

 

II*  

Designated  

30/07/1991  

16/03/2005  

Hafod Arms Hotel  

 

Ceredigion  

Pontarfynach  

Aberystwyth  

Pontarfynach  

274105  

277044  

S  

Facing N on the bend in the road immediately W of the famous Devil’s Bridge and Mynach Falls and at the junction with the B4574.  

Commercial  

 

Hotel of 1838-9, a rebuilding by the 4th Duke of Newcastle of an hotel first built in 1801-3 and then rebuilt in 1814-15 by Thomas Johnes, the creator of the renowned Hafod estate. A guide book of 1847 says that 'His Grace was his own architect and has produced a most picturesque Swiss structure', but a letter of February 1838 from the Duke's builder, S. Heath, shows that there were plans by William Coultart of Aberystwyth which Heath describes as 'very incorrect'. Heath modified these for the roof. It is probable that some of the previous hotel is incorporated but how much is uncertain. The previous building is not well-illustrated: an engraving by Laporte of 1804 in B. H. Malkin's tour shows a gabled range with centre projecting gable, end chimneys, and low wings. A later engraving by G. Cuitt shows a building with low-pitched but already Swiss roof with deep eaves. An article in 1923 says that the hotel originally faced in the opposite direction (into the cliff?), and the terrace was only made in 1839, but there is mention of fireworks from the terrace in Johnes' time. In 1809 the hotel was large enough for Johnes to hold a banquet for over a hundred tenants to celebrate the Jubilee of King George III, but in 1814 he is described as laying the foundation stone for 'a new, spacious hotel to be completed next spring', it was advertised to let in 1814 before completion. In the 1820s the architect C. R. Cockerell drew in his diary some timber supports of a window which he called 'rather good, most probably Nash's'. The hotel is described as thoroughly repaired and doubled in size in 1839. The front range with its relatively small windows may well be mostly of 1814, with the roof and possibly the top floor of 1839. In 1861 the Hafod Hotel Company was formed and the following year alterations were made by H D Davies, architect of London, including addition of the Billiard Room. A new dining room opened 1864. The company bought the hotel from the Hafod estate in 1864, and developed the very large Queens Hotel Aberystwyth 1864-6 but was bankrupt shortly afterwards. A lithograph connected with the 1860s work shows several differences: the door is in the fourth bay, flanked by different bay windows, there is a two-storey three-bay building to right, where now single storey, and different arrangement of outbuildings behind. The gable-end of the main hotel shows marks of a two-storey range, but the present single-storey tearoom range is shown in early C20 photographs. The tearoom may be part of alterations in 1904 and 1925 by G. T. Bassett for F. P. Lightfoot, the owner, possibly made after a fire, possibly also related to the opening of the vale of Rheidol Railway in 1902. Restored c. 1990 by Roscoe & Bean of Shrewsbury.  

Hotel, three storeys and attic, five bays, rubble stone with distinctive slate roof in Alpine manner. Exceptionally broad overhanging eaves carried on giant brackets formed of horizontal beams supported on wall-posts on corbels and raking curved braces. Moulded pendants under eaves soffit. Twinned brackets at ends. Brackets are set between the upper windows. Rendered large end chimneys. Hornless sash windows with voussoirs and painted slate sills, small 9-pane sashes to 2nd floor, 12-pane to main floors, but ground floor right has two canted bay windows with 8-8-8-pane sashes. Centre square-headed large doorway with Tudor-arched double board doors and glazed spandrels. Porch with tapered square pillars, pilaster responds, moulded cornice and set-back shallow gable. Iron railings each side on low stone plinth. Five prominent dormers with deep bargeboarded gables and small-pane casement windows. End walls have similar deeply overhanging verges on giant brackets. Left end has very large arched stair window set to left of centre: tooled grey stone surround with keystone and imposts, timber panels below tripartite 6-18-6-pane sash, and radiating-bar fanlight. Small canted 4-8-4-pane bay below. To left a 12-pane sash on first and second floors, in later C19 blue brick surround, and plate-glass sash below with stone voussoirs. Added lean-to at rear with blue brick surrounds to end-wall windows. Main roof rear has the deep bracketed eaves and dormers as on front.. Attached at rear SE is the 1862 billiard room. Two-storey, almost square, with pyramid slate roof with pyramid-roofed louvred ventilator at top, a roundel to rear, and part of a similar opening to E side suggest earlier origins. E side upper floor has big tripartite 4-8-4-pane to right and raised chimney breast to left (stack removed). Ground floor has lean-to to left. Right end has mark of roof of a removed adjoining range, presumably the one shown in 1860s view, and attic arched door in blue brick surround. 'GR' letterbox at corner. Attached single-storey 'Tea Rooms'; slate-roofed with big stone corniced cut-stone chimney to right end. Eaves carried forward over veranda of three wide bays, on square cast-iron pillars with cornices and high pedestals. Matching pilaster responds dividing bays of continuously glazed timber facade within. Long windows with top lights and fascia over. Shallow bows to outer bays, containing half-glazed double entrance doors, ten-light centre. To right is a rubble-stone single-storey range - the Three Bridges Bar - of two bays with shallower roof pitch. Broad mid C20 timber glazed 5-bay shopfront to left, with lozenge-traceried overlights over 4 long windows and centre door (an early C20 photograph shows a window and a door in raised stone surround here). Four-light window to right - a pair of cross-windows. To extreme right is two-storey gable, the end of a long stabling range running back. W side of this has small windows under eaves and one large ground floor window in blue brick surround.  

Arched doorways lead off entrance hall which retains coloured glass to reception office; frosted glass, reading 'Smoke Room', over doors to present dining room; brass finger plates. Staircase has lower section of 1862, linking to earlier stair at landing level. Bottom flight has Gothic panelled newel and barley twist balusters, stick balusters to earlier work. Bar to right has shouldered chimneypiece with foliated plaster frieze. The former billiard room has dado panelling by the Ornamental Pyrographic Woodwork Company - includes two unusual panels with nautical scenes; inserted ribbed ceiling. The 1876 sale catalogue refers to a lantern light above.  

Included at Grade II* as an exceptional example of a purpose-built hotel, a landmark in the history of picturesque tourism from the early C19, with additions of the 1860s and early C20, representing later phases of tourism.