History
Country house of c1827 recased and extended in 1891. An earlier farmhouse here was occupied in 1760 by Richard Williams. The estate was bought by John Davies of Crugiau, nearby, before 1790. His son General Lewis Davies (1776-1828) served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars (on the continent 1794, 1799, in the West Indies and in the Peninsular campaign, decorated after Salamanca) before retiring in 1814. The new house with remarkable Greek revival interiors was built just before the death of General Davies (the Colby map of 1831 is said to identify house as still a farm). It was of white stucco with hipped slate roofs, canted front to NE front and attached L-plan rear wing. Matthew Davies, his third son, succeeded to the estate, a magistrate, he was living here in 1841 with his wife, 3 daughters and 7 servants, was High Sheriff in 1847 and died in 1853. The property was then rented out, in 1865 to WCH Jones, in 1869-71 to Captain CE Hopton. By 1871, Matthew Lewis Vaughan Davies (1840-1935) lived here, having inherited the estate from his father. High Sheriff 1875 and the owner of a 3, 674 acre(1,488 hectares) estate, then impoverished. After a wealthy marriage in 1889 he commissioned Arthur Flower, architect, to recase the house in stone and add extensions. Work began in 1891, John E Evans was the builder. The large new work included two 2-storey rear wings, but retained the earlier Greek-revival house recased. The foundations were being cut in March 1891. From 1895, M L V Davies was Liberal MP for Cardiganshire, in 1921 he was made Lord Ystwyth and he died in 1935 at the age of 94. Offered for sale in 1936, it then had 17 first floor bedrooms and 6 in attic, and a 678 acre(274.6 hectares) estate. Bought by Cardiganshire County Council and from 1946-66 used as an isolation hospital. Student hostel from 1967 and later used as an administrative and catering building for Coleg Ceredigion. In 1998, sold as private house.