26701

 

II  

Designated  

31/05/2002  

31/05/2002  

Maes Manor Hotel  

 

Caerphilly  

Blackwood  

Blackwood  

Maes Manor  

317425  

198823  

 

In its own grounds reached on W side of a minor road between Blackwood and Bedwellty, approximately 2km N of Blackwood town centre.  

Domestic  

 

Originally known as Maesruddud, the present house was built in two phases by E.P. Warren, architect of London and pupil of G.F. Bodley. The earlier phase was built in 1900 as an addition to an earlier house, whose archaeological potential is significant, and was extended in 1907 (dates on building) when the original house was demolished. The earlier phase of the present house was built for Captain Edmund Williams, local mine owner and Sheriff of Monmouthshire. The second phase was added for L. Brewer Williams and was conceived in collaboration with Thomas Mawson, who designed the garden, when a number of ancillary buildings were added to the grounds.  

A small Tudor-Gothic style country house of 2 storeys with attic, with an approximate L-shaped plan comprising entrance range of 1900 oriented E-W, SW wing of 1907, parallel NW service wing and walled service yard of 1900 to the W now roofed. Of coursed rock-faced stone, lighter freestone dressings, and slate roof with overhanging eaves. The entrance range has a stone stack to the R, the SW wing has 2 similar end stacks. Windows are stone mullioned with hood moulds and incorporate casements with leaded lights. Original rainwater goods are retained, with heads dated 1900 to the entrance range and 1907 to the SW wing. In the S front both the entrance range and SW wing have gabled bays to asymmetrical 2-bay elevations, of which the wider bay is carried above the eaves and has a coped verge on moulded kneelers. The entrance range incorporates the original entrance in the narrower L-hand bay. This has a shallow single-storey porch with coped parapet. The original doorway on the R side is round-headed beneath a deep corbelled hood, and has an inserted window. A former window to its L now has an inserted door. In the upper storey is a 3-light window beneath a gable with small attic window. The wider R-hand gabled bay has a 2-storey canted bay window incorporating cross windows, with small hooded attic window in the gable. In the SW wing the wider R-hand bay has a 2-storey canted bay window with cross windows and hooded attic window. The L-hand bay has 3-light windows, with transom in the lower storey, and small attic window. The L (S) end wall of the SW wing has an external flue flanked by 2-light windows, with transoms in the lower storey. It is extended L by an integral single bay under a hipped roof, which has inserted double doors in the lower storey and 3-light transomed upper-storey window beneath a gable. The R (E) gable end of the entrance range has an external stack, cross window lower L, 2-light windows upper R and L and an inserted doorway to the R (now the main entrance). The rear of the entrance range has segmental-headed upper-storey windows with wooden mullions and transoms. It has 2 coped gables carried above the eaves with 3-light windows, to the R of which is a cross window below a raised parapet and flat-roofed dormer, all above a single-storey flat-roofed projection. A small 2-light window is to the L. Further R is the parallel NW rendered service wing with flat-roofed N projection. The W gable end of the entrance range, above the covered service yard, has segmental-headed casement windows to the upper storey. The W side wall of the SW wing, also facing the covered service yard, has a gabled projection with 3-light upper-storey window and 2-light attic window, and an apex ball finial. To its R is a tall stone eaves stack. The walled service yard has an original splayed entrance to the N side, curved NW and SW corners, while on the W side is a drinking trough in the form of a stone basin beneath a keyed round arch. A single-storey hipped roof projection is on the S side of the service yard, abutting and projecting in front of the SW wing.  

The porch leads into a stair hall with an open-well stair comprising turned balusters and square newels with ball finials. To its L is the SW wing, now a single room, with 2 fireplaces. Both have classical chimneypieces, comprising a stone surround with Ionic pilasters and a wood-panelled surround.  

Listed as a small early C20 industrialist's country house retaining its original character, and representative of the early C20 prosperity of the mining industry in this part of S Wales.