13042

 

II  

Designated  

29/10/1987  

11/03/2004  

Avellanau House  

 

Pembrokeshire  

Merlin's Bridge  

Haverfordwest  

Merlin's Bridge  

194548  

214047  

 

Reached by a long curving driveway past Fir Tree Close; driveway entry adjoins S side of railway bridge.  

Domestic  

 

Country house of 1845 by William Owen of Haverfordwest for William Evans, solicitor, of Haverfordwest. It became a county council childrens' home in the C20 and has been disused since c. 1998.  

Country house, unpainted stucco with hipped slate roofs and deep flat eaves. Stuccoed chimneys. Two main facades, that to N of 2-1-2 bays, projecting pedimented centre with similar eaves, raised plinth, band and stepped eaves band. Hornless 12-pane sashes with slate sills, all boarded over (2003), the ground floor second one lengthened as door. Ground floor centre plain canted bay with flat roof and 3 boarded smaller windows. Entrance front of 4-bays has same horizontal mouldings and 12-pane sashes, door in second bay set slightly right of window above and centre 2 bays within a 3-bay classical portico. This has Roman Doric columns, the centre bay wider, the outer columns paired with square piers, and piers have pilaster responds. Triglyph frieze and deep cornice. Four rendered steps up. Broad doorway boarded over (2003), doors and side-lights concealed. Hipped deep eaved roof. S side is plainer, hipped projection to left is similar to other fronts with one 12-pane sash each floor, then 3-bay range to right with plinth only. This has arched stair light to left over plain flat-roofed porch in angle (over steps down to basement), then other 2 bays have sashes in three storeys, the upper ones breaking eaves under catslide roofs. Rear has twin hipped roofs with valley between. Attached walls enclose a small rear service court. The two principal chimneys are on the ridges of the two rear roofs, just behind entrance front range.  

Interior inaccessible at time of survey.  

Included as an early Victorian country house in classical style which retains its overall character.