2818

 

II  

Designated  

02/03/1989  

30/01/2001  

Shirenewton Hall  

 

Monmouthshire  

Shirenewton  

Chepstow  

Shirenewton  

347997  

193459  

SW  

Towards the east of Shirenewton village in its own walled grounds beside the road to Crick.  

Domestic  

 

Formerly the site of Shirenewton Court, birthplace of William Blethin, Bishop of Llandaff (died 1590). It was a part of the Manor of Dinham and remained in the Blethin family until 1785. It became the property of William Hollis, a paper maker of Linnet Mill, Mounton, who married the Rector of Shirenewton's daughter and built the present house in 1830 and lived there until 1848. It was re-named Shirenewton Hall by Edward Lowe in 1880. In 1900 he sold to Charles Liddell who improved and enlarged it in a matching manner in c1910 using Norman Evill as architect. This is the section to the left (east) on the main elevation and it has a two gable front facing the Crick road. Charles Liddell also laid out the Japanese garden and undertook many improvements to the grounds.  

The house is built of dark limestone rubble with Bath stone dressings and has a stone slate roof. It has an asymmetrical six bay, two storey and attic entrance (west) front. It is in a Tudorbethan style as was popular in 1830, with the Edwardian section in a similar character. There are rectangular dripmoulds to stone mullioned and transomed windows, and lozenge and rectangular leaded cames. There is a two storey porch offset to the right with a shaped gable over, and a 4-centred moulded entrance arch under a 3-light transomed window. Main boarded door under the porch and a smaller door offset to the left. Large square bay windows to left and right with an oriel above left and pierced diamond pattern parapet to right. Other 2 and 3-light windows. Varied roofline with diagonally set stone stacks. gables with ball finials, and arched panels to solid parapets. Full-height blind gable end facing forward on the right. Lower 2 storey return wing on left, this is the Edwardian section. The elevation (north) facing the Crick Road has two gables to the left, otherwise the detail is similar in character to the earlier work. Rear (east) elevation not seen closely at the time of resurvey. It has a similar character to the rest but dates mostly from c1910. Garden (south) elevation not seen closely at the time of resurvey. Illustrations show it to have four bays of the 1830 house to the left with a bay window of 6 lights to the left with a 3-light window with a shaped gable above. In the centre are 2 and 3-light windows. To the right a two storey bay window with 4-light mullion and transom windows and a large Flemish gable above. To the right of this is a four bay loggia of rounded arches with a strapwork parapet with three windows above, and then the four storey tower with a corbelled out upper storey and crenellations. This may retain fabric from an older building. Formal terraced forecourt and terraced gardens with various Chinese and Japanese pots and bronze vases and dishes.  

Interior not available for inspection at the time of resurvey.  

Included for its architectural interest as an 1830 house in theTudor Revival style which was extended in the same manner in about 1910 by Norman Evill. It is also the centrepiece to an exceptional historic garden, with full-scale Japanese/Chinese features of great importance, which was created in early C20.