13137

 

I  

Designated  

16/12/1952  

30/04/2004  

Llansannor Court  

 

Vale of Glamorgan  

Penllyn  

Cowbridge  

Llansannor  

299350  

177460  

 

In the centre of Llansannor village beside the Church of St. Senwyr.  

Domestic  

 

The south-west wing appears to date from about 1500, possibly a little later, with the main range added to it in the late C16, probably 1580-90, by the Gwynne family, when the older range was re-windowed and had the present staircase inserted. The west kitchen wing, now a separate property (qv) was added in the early C17 but the house then seems to have had little alteration until the major additions, refurbishments and redecoration undertaken by Sir Joseph Spearman in the 1880s and 90s. These included the staircase, the billiard room and most of the service rooms. The C17 kitchen and other later parts in the service court were divided off in 1979 to make a separate property. Since then the Great Chamber has been restored back to a single room.  

Built of local limestone rubble only roughly coursed and showing evidence in various places of having been lime-rendered; the Victorian rear extension is brownstone rubble with apparently Bath stone dressings; Welsh slate roofs over all. L-shaped plan, originally single depth, but the Victorian range covers much of the rear elevation making it double depth in this area and with a further small extension housing the staircase. Two storeys and a once habitable attic (now not in use), but the wing is two storeys only. The main elevation faces south and has the foot of the L projecting forward on the left. Everything to the left (west) of this gabled wing is now a separate property (qv West Wing of Llansannor Court). The entrance front is symmetrical in five bays, with two windows on either side of the full height projecting porch. The ground floor windows are 4-light, the first floor 3-light, all with segmentally arched heads and dripmoulds. Attic gable with finial set centrally between the windows on either side, these with 2-light windows. The porch has a 3-centred arch with a 3-light window above and a 2-light one in the gable. Ridge stack at either end, and another in the cross-passage position, all look rebuilt. Disturbed masonry at the right hand wall end where the internal planning suggests that there was once a garderobe shaft. The projecting wing has the same window types which thus appear to be insertions, 5-light and 3-light on the ground floor, 4-light and 3-light above. The gable end has a 4-light one on each floor, set to the left. Large lateral stack on the left wall, which is otherwise hidden by the next door house. The east gable of the front range is blind, with a two storey bay on the Victorian addition behind. The north elevation has two Victorian gables, the first has two 2-light windows with double transom on the ground floor, a mullion-and-transom window above and a 2-light attic window. The second gable projects forward and has a Tudor arched entrance with single light windows on either side, large 3-light stair window with double transom above and a single light attic window. All these windows have dripmoulds. Beyond this to the right is a late C16 gable which housed the former stair, this has a Victorian mullion-and-transom window on each floor. Beyond again is an early C16 gable in the adjoining property. The chimneys at the rear are of similar character as those at the front, suggesting that those on the earlier range were rebuilt at this time.  

The interior has some important late C16 rooms while others underwent Victorian redecoration or are wholly Victorian. The entrance porch opens into the former screens-passage, now incorporated into the Hall, called the Oak Room. This has Victorian panelling, possibly incorporating some original Tudor panelling and a 5-bay ceiling spanned by large beams with roll-and-hollow mouldings and with moulded plasterwork to the panels. There is an early example of a classically inspired chimneypiece. The Study (in the wing) has a 2-bay ceiling with a moulded beam. The Drawing Room has Victorian decoration with a fireplace and panelling, although this last could be early C20. The Billiard Room is Victorian and is fully fitted with contemporary equipment even to the ivory balls; inner door with daffodil stops. The Dining Room is Victorian and has a raised ceiling. The Staircase is Victorian in the late C17 manner, open-well, closed string and turned balusters, all apparently made of Burmese teak. The Kitchen is a modern conversion of the Victorian Servants' Hall with a flagstone floor and fitted cupboards. Fitted Butler's Pantry. On the first floor the Great Chamber has been restored to its original dimensions as the Hall below. Five-bay ceiling with roll moulded beams. Rear wall with an oak, and a stone framed, doorway, both with the original oak plank doors, flanking the moulded stone fireplace. The right-hand doorway led to the original stair. Plain chamber over the porch. There is an alteration in the Great Chamber's north-east corner where the way through to the Victorian stair was formed. There is a secondary stone stair of three flights around a solid core in the earlier wing, this would appear to be a late C16 insertion. This stair has an unusual turned oak screen of c1700 on the upper landing. The attic floor of the main range shows evidence of having been a Long Gallery but is now fragmentary and long out of use. There is an oak framed doorway and a plaster frieze of lions and pomegranates. Principal rafter roof of seven or eight-bays (it can't all be seen together), with two tiers of purlins and a ridge piece. The wing roof is of earlier type with arch-braced collar beam trusses. The Victorian roofs are machine sawn king post trusses. The rafters for the whole building have been replaced, suggesting that it was re-slated as part of the Victorian improvements.  

Included and highly graded as an important C16 country house with a very early example of a symmetrical design. It contains a number of fine features and is very unaltered externally. This house is a great rarity for Glamorgan.