24100

 

II*  

Designated  

10/10/2000  

10/10/2000  

Wyelands  

 

Monmouthshire  

Mathern  

Chepstow  

Wyelands  

352358  

191923  

SE  

About 1100m north of the Church of St Tewdric and approached off the south side of the A48 to the east of Pwllmeyric.  

Domestic  

 

A villa designed by Robert Lugar in the neo-classical/Italianate manner of John Nash (Lugar may have had an association with him). It is said to have been built in 1819 by George Buckle, Sheriff of Monmouthshire, but Colvin quotes an advertisement in the Monmouthshire Merlin of 1846 claiming that it was 'lately erected'. It seems likely, however, that it is closer to 1819 than 1846. It then remained largely unchanged until the full re-furbishment of the 1990s culminating in the construction of the swimming pool which has been added onto the service wing and which involved the roofing over and filling in of the kitchen court. This was completed in 1999.  

This is a compact 'villa' type country house with a square two storey 3 x 2 bay block of the main reception rooms and bedrooms, and an attached wing containing the staircase with a lower corridor leading to the kitchen and service court and an upper corridor leading to the lesser bedrooms and the childrens' rooms. The main block is constructed of Bath limestone ashlar, while the wing and service end are rendered, both sections with Welsh slate roofs. The entrance elevation has slightly projecting gabled wings on either side of a recessed entrance. The entrance has an Ionic porch with double columns and full entablature, 6-panel door with sidelights within this. The wings each have a 6 over 6 sash with bracketted head, smaller 6 over 6 pane sashes in each bay above. Pedimented timber eaves on brackets, two ashlar stacks on the main ridge. The wing to the left has two bays of 6 over 6 sashes with a plain part glazed door against the corner of the main block. There is then a set forward bay of 6 over 6 sashes with a hipped roof and two tall stacks; this is the original kitchen. There is then a courtyard, part filled in, and a lower single storey range with a further stack. Returning to the garden front of the main block. The south west elevation has two large tripartite sashes on the ground floor, 6 over 6 are flanked by 2 over 2, with stone mullions and bracketted heads. Above each is a plain 6 over 6 sash. The bracketted eaves continue, and the right hand bay is set forward, with canted corners; this is the Drawing Room. The south east front mirrors the entrance front except that it has a third window on the ground floor and not so pronounced a central recess. This has large tripartite sashes as before flanking a large 6 over 6 sash on the ground floor, three plain 6 over 6 sashes above. The east corner is chamfered off and the block is joined by the two bay wing. The ground floor has been altered by the addition of a loggia of 6 bays W:D:W:W:D:W. Shaped heads to the openings, each of 3 + 3 lights, the windows are fixed, the doors are french casements, bracketted cornice and pierced balustrade above. First floor balcony with two french casements. The end block has two more windows the same on the ground floor and is blind above, two more tall stacks. These alterations may be contemporary with the house since the openings have the same heads as those on the contemporary Eastwood Lodge (qv). Return with sash windows to the kitchen court but this has been filled in 1999 by the addition of a large in-character swimming pool giving the appearance of being an orangery or other large garden building.  

The entrance leads into a stairhall with two Ionic columns and the stair leading up to the left through an elliptical arch. This has a cast iron balustrade with a mahogany handrail, a panelled dado and cantilevered stone steps. Most of the joinery and fireplaces are original, with neo-classical detail, the fireplaces in white marble, but some items have been introduced in character and some, like missing doors, have been reproduced in the recent refurbishment. The secondary staircase has stick balusters and turned newels and rises at the end of the wing. The upper corridor also has original joinery.  

Included and highly graded as an exceptionally well preserved small early C19 country house, largely unaltered outside and in, and with a particularly interesting and complete collection of garden and estate buildings both contemporary with the house and added later.