19057

 

II  

Designated  

13/11/1997  

13/11/1997  

Court Colman  

 

Bridgend  

Newcastle Higher  

 

Court Colman  

288363  

181877  

 

Approximately 1km W of Pen-y-Fai church, reached by private drive S of minor road between Pen-y-Fai and Llangewydd Court. Faces S with forecourt and extensive lawn in front.  

Domestic  

 

A late Georgian style house, probably built in the second quarter of the C19, enlarged in 1907 with later additions. The property belonged to Margam Abbey until the Dissolution, after which it passed through several hands until it was bought by the Llewellyn family of Baglan Hall in 1837. A tablet now on the front of the house is said to record the building of a house here in 1766, which was subsequently replaced or modified by the Llewellyns, although no readily discernible traces of an earlier house are now visible. The Llewellyns' house was enlarged by R.W. Llewellyn of Baglan Hall in 1907 by the addition of a third storey and the addition of wings. A ballroom and porch appear to be later still. Llewellyn had earlier built Pen-y-Fai Church, a school and twin lodges and gateway to Court Colman between 1898 and 1903. Court Colman was converted to an hotel in the 1980s.  

Simplified Italianate style house consisting of a main range facing S with E and W wings and a single-storey ballroom attached to E wing. Behind the main range is a rear service wing with single-storey ranges attached to it comprising former stables and yard. Near symmetrical 11-bay entrance front comprises 3-storey, 7-bay main range (the earlier house to which the upper storey was added 1907) with 2-bay wings, which are set forward and are 2-storeys with attics. Of rubble stone but with roughcast finish painted white, with slate roof and fluted ridge stacks. The main range has a rusticated upper storey, the wings have angle pilaster strips. Plain parapet with urns. The centre and ends are crowned with pedimented gables and Venetian windows. Above the central window is a sundial recording the major rebuilding of 1907, which is set into a tablet said to bear the date 1766 and to have been rescued from the stable block. Otherwise sash windows in moulded architraves throughout, except lower storey of E wing which has 2 tall cross-windows incorporating casements. A 3-bay porch is centrally placed and has pilasters, sash windows with fanlights, panelled double doors with raised fields and overlight, and a balustrade with ornate vases. The side wall of the E wing has a central pedimented bay which is rusticated and has a Venetian window. The ballroom to E is similar to porch and has a concrete render. It is 6x3 bays with paired Doric pilasters to the long garden front, single pilasters to short S front. Large round-headed windows have moulded keys and fanlights above cross-windows, some incorporating doors. Concrete balustrade similar to porch but with vases mostly missing. The rear is grey roughcast with sash windows: The main range has gablets to centre and L, while to R is 3-storey rear wing, which has a 3-storey range attached to it behind the short W wing. The stable consists of 3 parallel gabled ranges, with a range at right angles under a hipped roof at the W end. Roughcast with tooled quoins, mullioned windows with brick surrounds, slate roof. A yard attached to W end has rubble stone walls with a flattened elliptical arch with dressed voussoirs.  

Interior layout and fittings all of 1907 or later. The entrance lobby has an imperial stair. Rooms in ground floor of main range have marble fireplaces, plaster cornices incorporating egg and dart and foliage, and panelled shutters. The R wing is now converted to a ballroom with lavish baroque plaster work, while the original Ballroom is now divided into 2 rooms.  

A large Edwardian country house with distinctive architectural character and earlier origins.