23008

 

II  

Designated  

15/03/2000  

15/03/2000  

The Great House  

 

Monmouthshire  

Llanarth  

Abergavenny  

Coed Morgan  

336586  

212583  

 

Situated down drive running N off Llanddewi Rhydderch to Llanarth road some 600m E of Coed Morgan junction.  

Domestic  

 

Earlier C17 house of some status, extended and altered in C18, as indicated by the windows with keystones, possibly the W half added then, and a service wing added at right angles to the front later still. In the earlier C20 two of the chimneys were removed and rebuilt smaller, together with the whole W end wall. Morgan Walbeoffe of Great House was in occupation 1810, but by his death in 1826 was at Upper Ton (Llanvapley Court) according to inscriptions at Llanarth recorded by Bradney. Marked on the 1843 tithe map as owned by Catherine Cheslyn, occupied by Benjamin Prosser, with 163 acres (66 hectares). Now part of the Llanarth estate.  

House, whitewashed rubble stone with slate roofs. Two storeys and attic. Main range in two parts with 3 red brick late C19 or C20 stacks, and higher eaves level to W end section. Lower service range at right angles obscures join between two parts on N front. N front of W section has casement pair at extreme left, and cambered headed C18 window each floor to centre, with stone voussoirs and keystones, the upper one blocked, the lower with triple casement. N wing has lean-to porch in angle. Casement pair above slightly left, ground floor casement pair centre, and loft stairs to right to boarded granary door, the stairs carried over another ground floor casement pair, both windows with brick heads. Brick N stack and slate-roofed N lean to, former engine-house. Rear of wing has ground floor added lean-to and two upper windows, casement pair left, boarded granary window right. N front of E section has one window each floor, C20 insertion below, the upper one a casement pair in C18 surround as those on other side. E end wall has external chimneybreast. Rear of E section has 3 casement pairs under eaves, one blocked window to right of centre, one casement pair with brick cambered head to ground floor right and glazed door to left of centre. Rear of W section has first floor triple casement extreme right, single light below and casement pair left of centre, all C19 or later, brick framed with cambered heads. W end wall has been rebuilt in whitewashed brick, 2 first floor windows, one to attic, casement pairs as on rear.  

Three-room plan, with former large centre chimney rebuilt smaller, when W end chimney and wall were rebuilt, and leaving narrow room behind present chimney. E end room was a dairy and separate from rest. Fireplace remains with big chamfered timber lintel. Massive door. Centre room altered, with modern stairs from passage along N side. C17 to early C18 panel to cupboard door with scribed mouldings. Three big chamfered beams. First floor has remarkable survival of part of a richly moulded panel ceiling presumably of an upstairs parlour or solar, 2 x 3 panels, the beams with complex mouldings, visible partly over stairs partly in room to S. Relation to early house needs investigation. Upstairs door into N wing is another C18 window with voussoirs and keystone, turned round to face inward, indicating that N wing is added. W end bedroom has painted chamfered beam with scribed centre underside longitudinal double bead mould. Roof has two heavy trusses at E end, with trench for massive purlins, then rebuilt chimney with roof reconstructed, then 2 trusses to loft to W, one in partition wall. N wing has heavy C17 beam with stepped hollow stops to chamfers, possibly reused, fireplace and bread oven in N end wall.  

Included as well-preserved substantial C17 to C18 house with unusual plan and good interior detail, including ceiling of upper chamber.