2776

 

II  

Designated  

26/09/1985  

29/03/2000  

Caerwent House  

 

Monmouthshire  

Caerwent  

Newport  

Caerwent  

346928  

190559  

 

Prominently sited in the centre of Caerwent on the north side of the main street adjacent to the remains of the Roman Temple. It may be built on the site of the Roman Basilica.  

Domestic  

 

Probably late C16 or early C17 in structure, rebuilt in the early C19, and most of what is visible externally dates from that period. The position of the central stack to the right of the entrance door may suggest that the late C16 building had a cross passage with the main fireplace backing onto it, but what, if any, of this planning may survive is unknown. The other external clue to the earlier origins of the house is the curiously wide and uneven spacing of the windows. An early C19 house would be symmetrical about a central entrance; so it may be that the original house was a 3-room plan with cross passage and either one-and-a-half or two storeys. There seems to have been little C20 alteration to the house apart from the introduction of some metal framed windows. This is one of the two major houses which appear on the plan of Caerwent in William Coxe's, 'An Historical Tour of Monmouthshire', published in 1801.  

A rectangular block parallel with the road and with a continuous outshut at the rear. The building is rendered, probably over rubble stone and has a pitched slate roof with dog-leg profile to rear over the later extensions. Three storeys and four windows to the road Horizontal sliding sashes to second floor, vertical sashes to first floor and centre of ground floor, flush frames with 6 over 6 pane glazing bars, the right hand window on the ground floor is a metal framed casement. Canopied porch replaced (1985) by lean-to porch of corrugated sheeting, 6-panel door with 4 glazed panels within. Metal framed secondary doors to front and left hand elevations, French door to the left of the porch. Plain roof slope with three rebuilt red brick ridge stacks, one to either gable and one in the centre. Rear elevation only partially seen, but it has a cat slide roof. The outshut has two metal framed casements to the east wall, the gable end of the main range has a plank taking in door.  

Interior not available for inspection at the time of resurvey (June 1999). Surviving internal features are said to include chamfered and stopped floor beams, a (reused) diamond mullion window and Regency detailing to fireplaces, doors and architraves.  

Included as an early C19 house with probable earlier origins which has an important position in the centre of Caerwent.