24001

 

II  

Designated  

20/09/2000  

20/09/2000  

Mount Ballan House  

 

Monmouthshire  

Portskewett  

Newport  

Portskewett  

349154  

189065  

 

In Crick Road about 200m north of the junction with Chepstow Road.  

Domestic  

 

It was built in 1837 (dated) probably as the Vicarage of Caldicot, certainly the Vicar was living there in 1858, but the new Vicarage next to the church at Caldicot (qv Manor Nursing home, Caldicot Community) was ready in 1862. In 1879-80 the house was bought by Thomas Walker, the engineering contractor, for his home while the Severn Tunnel was under construction and because the attached fields contained good brick earth. He extended the house, and then lived in it until his death in 1899 (qv Walker Memorial Lychgate, Caerwent Community), and his daughter was still living there in 1933. In recent years the house has been a hotel, but, at the time of inspection, the house was disused.  

A large rendered house, probably over rubble stone, with ashlar dressings and Welsh slate roofs. It was built in the Tudor Gothic style which was popular at the time it was built. Two storeys, with a later single storey wing on the north end of the house. The entrance (east) elevation has four gabled bays of which the right hand one is probably the addition by Thomas Walker, although built in character with the rest. From the left; a canted bay window with 1 + 2 + 1 lights with Tudor tracery and a castellated parapet. First floor plat band which goes all along this elevation and partly round the house. Three light mullioned window above, over this, in the gable, is a carved shield, and the date on a scroll 1837. Gable with elaborately carved bargeboards and a spike finial. The second bay projects as a two storey porch. Four centred arch with a dripmould with carved royal head stops. The inner doorway is similar with diamond stops to the architrave, door with 2-light window with coloured glass and relief panelling below. Small window on one return of the porch, panel with a a shield over the arch, 2-light window above and gable as before. The third bay has two single light Tudor windows below and a large 4 x 3 light stair window above, a panel and gable over this as before. The fourth (1880s) gable is set back and has a 2-light and a 3-light window below and a two 2-light ones above, gable as before. Single storey wing to right with two 2-light windows. Four tall contemporary stacks with one, two and three flues of Tudor type. The south front has two gabled bays to the left and a further set back bay to the right, this being the flank wall of the first bay on the entrance front. The first bay has a 4-light window above and below, the second has a canted bay window below as before and a 4-light window above, the third bay has a 3-light window below, all these with dripmoulds, and a plain 3-light window above. The west front, from the left has a two storey canted bay window, a plain bay with a single light window, a two storey canted bay window as before, and single light windows to the right.  

Not available for inspection at the time of resurvey. The house is unoccupied and awaiting development.  

Included for its architectural interest as a well-preserved Tudor Revival villa of 1837 and for its historic interest as the home of Thomas Walker, engineer and contractor, while he was building the Severn Tunnel and subsequently.