Full Report for Listed Buildings


Summary Description of a Listed Buildings


Reference Number
4710
Building Number
 
Grade
II*  
Status
Designated  
Date of Designation
14/06/1952  
Date of Amendment
26/05/1995  
Name of Property
Nannau  
Address
 

Location


Unitary Authority
Gwynedd  
Community
Brithdir and Llanfachreth  
Town
 
Locality
Nannau  
Easting
274307  
Northing
320814  
Street Side
 
Location
Situated in its own park on a striking, elevated site 3km SW of Llanfachreth village; accessed via a drive leading W from the Llanfachreth-Dolgellau road.  

Description


Broad Class
Domestic  
Period
 

History
The ancestral seat of the Nannau family and from the late C18 the Vaughans. Cadwgan, son of Bleddyn ap Gynfyn, Princeof Powys built the first recorded house on or near the site in the late C11. His descendants, the Nanneys, were on site until 1701 (unbroken male line). An early house was destroyed by Owain Glyndwr c. 1402 during the revolt. In the early C17 Huw Nannau Hen built a new house in lavish style, much praised by his contemporaries. There is no record of this in the 1660s hearth tax returns so it is possible that the house was a casualty of the Civil War. Col. Huw Nannau rebuilt the house c. 1693 and a subsidiary domestic range behind the present house probably relates to this; it now lies in ruins. Nannau eventually passed to a relative, Robert Hywel Vaughan, created a baronet in 1791 and High Sheriff of Merioneth at the same time. He built the present restrained Georgian house c.1795, incorporating part of the late C17 building in the SW corner. To the three-storey primary block the second baronet added storied pavilion wings c.1805, to the designs of Joseph Bromfield. These elegant additions were swept away this century, that to the NE as late as c. 1970.  

Exterior
3-storey 5-bay house in restrained Georgian style; square plan. Of large dressed blocks of local slate-stone with sandstone dressings; shallow, hipped slate roof with plain chimneys. Recessed, wide entrance bay to main (SE) front. Elegant entrance porch with Ionic columns and simple moulded entablature. Within, a large C19 part-glazed door with 12-pane upper glazing and panelled lower section; flanking 8-pane internal windows. Above the porch a tripartite sandstone window in a shallow, segmental arched recess; 12-pane central light with narrow 4-pane vertical flanking lights. Similar, squatter window to third floor, though with 3 equal lights, all with plain C19 sash glazing. Tall 12-pane recessed sash windows to ground floors of main and side elevations and contemporary 6-pane sashes to the upper elevations. The middle floor has plain Victorian sashes to the front and left-hand sides, though the original 12-pane glazing survives to the R; all windows have projecting stone lintels. External stepped cellar access to the first side bays from the front. Good decorative and heraldic lead hoppers survive, 2 ofwhich are original (one dated 1795) and 2 of which bear the date 1872. Plain parapet with moulded cornice; balustrading above entrance bay. Rough-dressed rubble rear with much disturbed masonry. 12 and 16-pane windows and a modern fire escape to first floor. Out of character flat-roofed modern extensions to groundfloor rear. Adjoining the R side of the house, a triple-arched section of walling, a surviving fragment of the pavilion wings.  

Interior
The entrance hall has an open segmental arch with around arch within leading to the stairwell; Ionic columns and engaged columns, and a dentilated entablature. Dentilated plaster cornice to hall and a wooden fireplace with moulded egg-and-dart entablature; engaged Doric columns and scallop-headed niches. Well stair on 3 floors with swept mahogany rail and decorative iron balusters. Moulded doorcases off hall with 6-panel mahogany doors. Drawing room to R with decorative plaster cornice; moulded architraves with gadrooned and carved overdoors. These flank a restrained marble fireplace with panelled pilasters and foliate carving to central plaque. Shallow segmental-arched niche to rear wall containing twin doors. Reeded window architraves with panelled shutters. The L ground-floor room has an Adam styleplaster ceiling and cornice and panelled splays as before. Wide segmental-arched opening to rear room with plaster cornice. Modernised upper floors have been partitioned off and false ceilings inserted.  

Reason for designation
Included at Grade II* as a highly important late C18 regionalhouse.  

Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]





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