10958

 

II  

Designated  

08/07/1966  

30/09/1999  

Cilgwyn Manor  

 

Carmarthenshire  

Myddfai  

Llangadog  

Cilgwyn  

274523  

229975  

 

Situated some 4 km ENE of Llangadog, in valley of Afon Ydw, on N side of road to Myddfai.  

Domestic  

 

Former country-house, now residential home for the elderly. Property of the Lewis family from the C16, until Benjamin Lewis died bankrupt in 1699, having sold the estate to James Price of Glantowy. In 1801 bequeathed by his heiress to John Josiah Holford (1765-1836), followed by G G Holford (1803-44) and J P Gwynne-Holford (1833-1916). Sold in earlier C20, various owners. Restored from dereliction for the present use, and new wing added to E in sympathetic style. The stairs in the back range appear mid C18, while the rest of the internal detail is early C19, suggesting a double pile house of c1740 altered in early C19. A watercolour of c1800 shows the present front. An advertisement of 1807 mentions a handsome entrance porch and drawing room with bow windows. This may be the big bowed bay on the E end, which is similar to one at Llwynybrain, Llanwrda. Some early C19 detail is similar to Glansevin, Llangadog. The house behind the mansion is said by Francis Jones to have been the C17 house, but is not marked on the Tithe Map, and foundations have been found in front of the present house that are more probably the old site.  

Country house, colourwashed roughcast with stucco dressings and slate roofs, chimneys altered, a single rendered stack on front ridge. Modillion eaves cornice, stucco chamfered quoins and thin stucco window surrounds. Symmetrical 3-storey, 7-window frontage, centre five bays break forward slightly under broad modillioned pediment with keyed oval panel with cross motif. Windows are C19 4-pane sashes in thin surrounds to upper floors, French windows to ground floor. Central C20 half-glazed door in classical porch with flat entablature on two pairs of painted ashlar Roman Doric columns. Renewed pilaster responds. Right hand end wall is windowless. Left end has two 4-pane sashes to first and 2 to second floor. Recessed one-window service range with roughcast end stack. Four-pane sash to first and 12-pane to second floor, upper window breaking eaves under gable. Ground floor door under glazed lean-to, obscured by C20 conservatory. To right, a later C20 2-storey wing, attached to house by a glazed link; 3-window to right with single storey range at right angles coming forward to left. Rear range of main house has full-height semi-circular bow on E gable end, with conical metal-clad roof and 3 sash windows each floor, 12-pane to ground and first floors, 4-pane above. Rear is mostly altered but has wall-face stack to left, and arched stair light each floor further right. Rest of rear has C20 glazing, 3 floors, 2-window range, then projecting right-hand end, also 2-window, ground floor lean-to. E end of rear roof is steeply hipped suggesting early to mid C18 date.  

Central entrance hall with small fireplace, and early C19 panelled doors. Spine corridor with panelled arches each side of stair hall, early C19 reeded mouldings. Mid C18 stair is in the rear range, 4-flight, heavy closed string with alternate balusters, column-on-vase or spiral-on-vase. Thick moulded rail. Bottom newel is heavily tapered with fluting and square cap, others are plain rectangular. Early C19 shutters to main windows, dining-room to SE was formerly 2 rooms. NE room has curved E end and mostly renewed detail, later C19 fireplace moved from upstairs room. Stair lights have later C19 glazing with etched coloured glass margins, red on first landing, blue on second.  

Included as a good Georgian country house with surviving plan-form, some early C19 doorcases and hall arches, and especially fine mid C18 staircase.