5451

 

II*  

Designated  

05/02/1952  

14/09/2005  

Ty Fry  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Pentraeth  

 

Rhoscefnhir  

251628  

376755  

 

Set back, within private grounds, from the NW side of a country road leading W off the A5025 through the small hamlet of Rhoscefnhir.  

Domestic  

 

A late C17-early C18 house, apparently built in two distinct phases, but begun by Owen Williams in 1679. The original house seems to have been swiftly extended to its NE, when an additional room and rear kitchen wing were added to the original hall and parlour range, with its rear staircase wing. This extension probably replaced an original kitchen to the NE of the hall. The layout and detail of the first floor suggests that it was planned as a single entity (uniting original range and its extension); the style of panelling probably indicates an early C18 date for this remodelling work. In the early C19 the house was again extended by the addition of a full-height drawing or music room at the SW end. Various later modifications have disturbed aspects of the original layout (the doorway has been moved from the position it occupied when inspected by RCAHMW in 1937, for example) but the house remains essentially late C17-early C18 in character.  

Mid C17 gentry house. Rubble masonry with large stones as quoins; slate roof with tall rectangular stacks with capping at gables and marking extent of original house. 2 storeys and attic, comprising a long principal range with staircase and service wings at rear. The principal elevation faces an enclosed garden to the SE: it comprises the 8-window original range, with a further 2-window range added in-line to the left in the early C19. Original section has entrance to left of centre (6-panelled door with moulded canopy over), with 3 windows to its left, 5 to the right: all are 24-pane sashes with stone voussoir heads. 4 hipped dormers with 16-pane sashes in the roof. The early C19 section has a tall ground storey, with 2 long sash windows of 15 panes to the ground floor; attic storey above with 9-pane sash windows in gabled dormers. To the rear, the original main range has 24-pane sash windows to first floor to either side of the stair-case wing, and its C19 extension has ground-floor French windows. Both wings have mainly 24-pane sash windows in their SW elevations; the service wing has a horizontally sliding sash window in a gabled dormer to the NW. The staircase wing has flanking lean-to additions in the angles with the main range with similar 24-pane sash windows. The service wing has been extended by a single storey outhouse against the NW gable, and is also linked by a lean-to addition to a further service block (the dairy wing) parallel to it. This wing is mainly rendered, and has rear doorway with loft-door above; added lean-to garage at gable end.  

The layout of the C17-C18 house survives with some modification. Essentially (and as extended in the early C18) it comprised large central hall with staircase opening off it in rear wing, and two further heated rooms flanking the hall, with service wing at rear. The entrance is now into the hall, but was once alongside the hall-parlour partition. This partition, once removed, has been reinstated. Dining room to right of hall, the corridor behind it a later insertion. Hall has 2 chamfered cross-beams with scrolled stops; similar beam in parlour. Hall fireplace has segmental pediment with reeded Ionic pilasters. In the tympanum is an achievement, Cadrod Hardd (for Williams) impaling Llywarch ap Bran (for Hughes of Newborough). Archway to staircase in rear wall (reinstating something like the original arrangement which had been modified in the C19). Dining room has 2 rough cross-beams (presumably intended to be plastered originally) - these continue across the corridor. Dairy beyond kitchen has slate-lined walls and malting tiles to floor. C19 addition at SW comprises high music room; panelled shutters to windows. decorative plaster cornice and fine fireplace with shouldered architrave. At rear of hall, the original open-well staircase rises the entire height of the house, the well diminishing as it rises. It has square newels with ball finials and pendants, and turned balusters; bolection moulded string, dado panelling. The lower room of the rear wing opens from the staircase landing: painted framed panel over doorway on staircase side, and plain chamfered beam. The room above this is larger (accounted by the diminishing well of the stair-case) and has chamfered beams with bar-stop. First floor has long rear corridor with full wall panelling with dado and cornice to its inner side: massive chamfered beam with scrolled stops over entrance to stair-case. Rooms all have independent access from the corridor, but are arranged as inter-connecting pairs. Doors have fielded panels and moulded rails, and deep moulded architraves. The SW room is entered from the end of the corridor, and has a heavier moulded architrave on a similar profile. Most rooms retain extensive wall panelling (contemporary with that of corridor) and window shutters; bolection moulded plaster cornices, and cross-beams, with scrolled stops in principal rooms. Attic storey reveals the two phases of construction: hall and parlour end of house is roofed with 5xcollar trusses. Over the dining-room end, the 2 trusses have slightly cambered collars, and there are similar trusses in the rear (kitchen) wing.  

Listed at Grade II* as an excellent mid C17 gentry house with good coherent exterior character, and a fine interior.