3688

 

II*  

Designated  

29/04/1952  

21/07/1999  

Plas Glan-yr-Afon  

 

Gwynedd  

Waunfawr  

Caernarfon  

Plas Glan-yr-Afon  

250407  

359830  

 

Located on the north side of a long, rough track running south-eastwards towards Waenfawr from the road between Bontnewydd and Caeathro; the house is separated from its farmbuildings by a rubblestone wall with stone-on-edge coping.  

Domestic  

 

Late C17 core to west, extended in 3 successive phases during the early C18, first to the east, itself extended by a block to the north and then a further long range added to the east, projecting to the south and forming present rough L-plan; considerable embellishment in mid-C18, including provision of existing staircase and panelling. The house was the home of the Robbins family until c1820. It later belonged to the Vaynol Estate, in whose ownership it remained until c1914.  

2-storey and attic, basic L-plan (see History). Roughly coursed rubblestone with traces of render and limewash; partly grouted slate roof with slate-coped verges. South (entrance) elevation has 3 bay-range to left with doorway to right in angle with projecting 2-bay range; late C20 plastic windows in original C18 openings replacing recessed 12-paned sashes throughout; rebuilt integral end stacks to both gable ends, left with doorway on ground floor and 2 windows on first floor and that to projecting range with 2 blind windows on first floor; rooflight roughly to centre of main range. East elevation has C20 lean-to to left with 2 windows to right on ground floor (left wider) and 5 windows, 2 to left and 3 to right (middle of latter group an insertion), on first floor; boarded door to north gable end. Northern projection has integral end stack but is otherwise blank to gable end; west side has brick parapet and 2 symmetrically spaced windows on each floor, the right abutting the large lateral stack on the back wall of the entrance range.  

Fine interior has many fixtures and fittings surviving from the mid-C18 remodelling, including the staircase rising in straight flights from the panelled hall to the similarly panelled landing and thence to the attic; ramped square newels, elegant turned balusters (2 to each tread), closed moulded string with scotia decoration to the treads and moulded handrail. Interestingly, there is no diminution in status as the staircase rises, save that at attic level the balustrade is solid with raised panels. The contemporary panelling to hall, landing and 3 principal bedrooms (to the west of the staircase, in the northern block and at the southern end of the north-south range) is largely of long and short rectangular panels with quarter-round moulding to stiles and rails; 6-panel doors, boxed beams and moulded cornices throughout plus bolection mouldings to landing doorways. The panelling to the east of the stairs on the landing is different and rather unusual being of a refined plank and muntin type: it too appears mid-C18 and continues alongside the stairs up to the attic. Western room on ground floor has massive chamfered cross beam and a large fireplace to back wall with timber lintel and splayed rough stone jambs; large lateral fireplace, which formerly had 2 smoking ovens, in large room (kitchen) in north-south range may be secondary as its jambs partly conceal the roughly chamfered cross beams; tile floor in this room and in hall. Western bedroom has in addition to the panelling mentioned above an inbuilt C18 cupboard with carved shelving to the north wall and to the west wall an elaborate C19 fireplace with carved brackets to the mantelshelf, above which is a mid-C18 oil-painted panel depicting a view of Caernarfon with ships in the foreground; boxing removed from cross beam. Bedroom in northern block similar but slightly less elaborate and no inbuilt cupboard; painted panel to north wall depicts scene of Conwy. Large room at south end of north-south range has panelling only to the east wall and 2 boxed cross beams; formerly had painted panel similar to others but this appears to have been removed when the original fireplace was taken out. Wide floorboards throughout. Attic has simple plank and muntin partitions and substantial A-frame trusses with double purlins, in 6 bays to north-south range, in 3 bays to entrance range and in 2 bays to northern block.  

Graded at II*, notwithstanding its plastic windows, as an otherwise well-preserved house of the late C17 with an exceptionally good interior, representative of the larger farmhouses and minor gentry houses of the region.