24357

 

II  

Designated  

30/10/2000  

30/10/2000  

Llwynmadoc  

 

Powys  

Treflys  

 

Llwynmadoc  

290386  

252494  

 

Located in its own grounds 1km WNW of Eglwys Oen Duw, reached by private drive on the N side of a minor road between Beulah and Abergwesyn.  

Domestic  

 

The house was built in 1747 (date on building) by Evan Thomas but this may have been a rebuilding of an even earlier house as the Thomas family owned Llwynmadoc from as early as 1676. The house was for a period used as a shooting lodge until it was extended from 1851 by Henry Thomas, who made it his principal residence. In 1841 the present service wing was a detached farmstead with outbuildings. The 1851 house is essentially what has survived to the present day, and comprised a long S-facing range that a photograph of the early C20 shows to have had a hipped roof and dormers. The earlier farmstead was also incorporated as a service wing to the house at this time. Further alteration was undertaken by Philip Tilden, architect, in the early-mid C20, whose main contribution was adding the mansard roof and inserting new dormer windows.  

Large, mainly Victorian country house of rubble stone, of 2 storeys with attic, and a slate mansard roof with billet eaves and brick stacks. The long S-facing 9-bay elevation is the main front. At its L angle below the eaves is a dated tablet '1747 ET'. At the L end is a C19 full-height canted bay window, then 3 narrow bays with hornless sashes and a central door with glazing over 2 low panels (possibly the main entrance until the house was extended c1851). A wide gable with 2 attic sashes flanking a C20 lunette spans the R-hand sash window and a C19 2-storey canted bay window. Further R is the extension of 1851, comprising 4 narrow bays with hornless sashes and stone segmental heads, and a wide bay window spanning the 2 central bays in the lower storey. The R gable end has an external stack, with sashes windows to its L in both storeys and an attic dormer. Set back on the R side is an added open timber-framed porch to the main entrance, in a comparatively plain round-headed doorway with panelled door. The rear has, from the L end, a wide bow window with small sash above, then a tall stair light with sash window, beyond which are 2 sashes in the lower storey and a replaced upper storey window. There are 3 dormers above the rear wall, the L-hand of which is blank and slate-hung. Further R the service rooms are stepped out and are part of the extension of 1851. A single dormer is in the side wall above an upper-storey sash window and 2 small lower-storey sash windows, to the R of which the angle is chamfered in the lower storey. The rear wall of the service rooms has a central gabled porch, with segmental headed sash windows and dormer to the R, and 2 small lower-storey sashes to the L. Set back further R is a single narrow bay with sash window to the upper storey and a dormer. The L end wall of the main house, against which a large conservatory had been added by 1888 but has since been demolished, has an external stack with flanking dormers, a slate hung upper storey and sash window lower R. A lean-to is added to the lower storey, to the R of which, set back from the main angle of the building, is an attached stone wall enclosing a courtyard on this side of the house. Further L a short projecting link added in the C20 is attached to a 3-storey, 4-window service wing, formerly freestanding and adapted from the C18 farmstead, set back on the L side of the main front. This faces the enclosed courtyard. The lower storey has a boarded door and overlight centre-R, with a sash window then a lean-to boarded door under a canopy to its L and a tripartite sash to its R. The middle storey sash windows are under segmental brick heads, while the upper storey has similar windows under gablets, the outer windows round-headed. The rear of this service wing, built against a steep bank, is only 2 storeys, and has sash windows in the upper storey to the centre and L, a low tripartite window set back in the lower storey at the L end, and a segmental-headed half-glazed doorway to the centre. On the L side of the service wing is an L-shaped former coach house and stable block composed of E and S wings. Facing the courtyard W of the house the E wing has, from the R (upper) end, 2 boarded doors under wooden lintels, then a round-headed opening to a through passage, a fixed window, segmental-headed doorway, a fixed light under a stone segmental head and a round-headed doorway with panel door and cast iron fan light. The gable end of the E wing has a stable in the basement with a segmental-headed boarded door on the L side and narrow ventilation strip to its R, while above are fixed lights under stone segmental heads. The S wing is rebuilt in brick over a rubble stone base. On its N side is another courtyard with a short low gabled wing on the W side (damaged by fire at the time of inspection).  

The main entrance leads to a corridor continuing the full length of the main house. It also house the main stair, which has a quarter turn below the landing and moulded tread ends, turned balusters, and a scrolled newel. The main rooms on the L of the corridor, from the main entrance, are a smoking room, a library with fluted pilasters flanking book cases and doorway, a drawing room (now kitchen) and a dining room. The dining room has a large fireplace with moulded stone surround, and the walls are wood-panelled with husk border decoration.  

Listed for architectural interest as a largely C19 country house with substantial earlier origins.