25527

 

II  

Designated  

18/07/2001  

18/07/2001  

Cascade House  

 

Caerphilly  

Gelligaer  

 

Pen-pedair-heol  

314526  

197847  

N  

E of the main village development, on the N slope above Nant y Cascade, set within landscaped grounds, surrounded by farmland and reached by a drive.  

Domestic  

 

A property is believed to have existed here in C17 though possibly with a Welsh name. This building appears to be an C18 farmhouse extended in early C19 and again in later C19 and also early C20 as a mine-owner's residence. Gelligaer Tithe Map 1842 shows the house with a large barn wing extending at front right, the apportionment giving John Perrott as owner (as named on the nearby stable); the tenancy was let with Pen y daren presumably as a farm. By the time of the first edition OS map 1877, building had taken on nearly its present shape by incorporating the barn range into a new wing to right and adding two new wings to left; Second Edition of 1919 appears to show the W cross wing further extended to rear. Census of 1891 identifies owner James Smith as Colliery Owner. Continued in use as mine manager's house for Powell Dyffryn into mid C20. Although giving the impression of symmetry, the building's interior reveals its differential development by different ceiling heights etc; blocked former farmhouse staircase. The Perrot family can be traced back to the C16 when Sir John Perrot 1530-1592 of Haroldston Pembs was Lord Deputy of Ireland. The house at Cascade came into the family by the marriage of Gregory Perrot in C17. Son Gregory inherited and became rector of Gelligaer; he was cousin to Edward Lewis who set up the local educational charitable trust. The estate comprised Cascade, Berllanlwyd and Rhos-yr-Wyddfa farms and Hengoed Hall. The John Perrot named on the stable died 1847 and the estate passed to another of that name who died 1876. A mineral lease of 1910 shows the estate to be shared by 17 persons. In later C19 house was leased to a colliery owner J L Smith and in 1915 to the Powell Dyffryn Company, who enlarged it, and subsequently to the National Coal Board, until it reverted to private ownership in late C20.  

Substantial industrialist's residence, upgraded from a farmhouse. Plan of central farmhouse section and two later gabled cross wings at each end, with further wing extending at end left. 2 storeys and cellar. Of stone mostly stucco rendered though back of central wing is unrendered, all painted white; Welsh slate roof with overhanging boarded eaves and painted rendered stacks, ridge stacks to central unit and narrow rear and end stacks to later wings. Central farmhouse section has a 4-window range of small 4-pane sashes with sills; similar window replaces former central doorway which shows blocked arch and roofline of former porch. Cross wings have larger windows with 6-pane sashes, the side panes narrower; that at ground floor right is a French window with steps leading to garden; smaller panes to the tri-partite windows of the single bay at end left. Corniced flat-roofed porch is in the angle between the left end and cross wings; round-arched entrance and deep side window. To side and rear are some 12-pane sashes with narrow glazing bars and without horns; at side right is a second porch with basket-arched doorway, another doorway blocked; rear side windows have cambered heads; rear farmhouse section has central doorway flanked by side windows, one corner curved.  

Porch has large round-arched multipane side window; hallway leads from porch and has stairs with wreathed ramped handrail and decorative treads, stick balusters replaced with slender turned ones. Doors are 4-panelled and some have panelled reveals and moulded surrounds, likewise the windows. The central farmhouse section with substantially lower ceiling is now a single room with connecting lobbies to outer wings; large fireplace in end right wall has large inset fireback of 1762 with fleur de lys motif, probably referring to a foundry at nearby Fleur de Lys, and initials WM, thought to refer to William Morgan; removal of plaster shows masonry to be in narrow courses. End wing right, former barn range and now a self-contained unit, retains a lower ceiling.  

Listed as a substantial house of a type rare in the Rhymney Valley and with a specially interesting history. Group value with the listed ancillary buildings.