4404

 

II  

Designated  

01/04/1974  

26/09/2005  

Gelli Faia  

 

Gwynedd  

Porthmadog  

Porthmadog  

Porthmadog  

256637  

338513  

 

In its own grounds on high ground above and to the W of the town centre, and reached by private road on the R side of Borth Road.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Formerly known as Morfa Lodge and built by William Madocks (1773-1828). The date is uncertain. It has been argued that it was a house mentioned c1806 as being built for a Dr Morris, and alternatively that it was built in the 1820s shortly before Madocks died. Structurally and aesthetically it is very similar to Tan yr Allt, built by Madocks in the first decade of the C19, in its overall near-square plan with verandas (here enclosed as lean-tos), and use of internal plaster vaults. The house was extended by the addition of a higher service block in the mid C19, which is shown on the 1871 Tremadog estate plan. The house became a school in the 1930s, and a nunnery from c1954, the nuns having run a nursing home until closure in 1998. During this time the upper storey was extensively modernised, and an addition was made to the lower storey garden front. It is now a private house and occasional Buddhist retreat.  

A Regency villa near square in plan of 2 storeys, of whitened roughcast walls with Tuscan pilasters articulating the bays, and pyramidal slate roof on bracketed eaves, with central rendered stack. In the lower storey is a continuous lean-to (similar to Plas Ynys Tywyn, built for Madocks' engineer John Williams). The W entrance front has unequal bays in the lower storey, articulated by pilasters. The entrance bay is offset to the L of centre and has a half-glazed panel door with Gothic pointed side lights, and renewed glazed in doors in the outer bays, of which the R-hand is wider, in openings designed for French doors. The upper storey has two 2-light casement windows. In the S garden front are 2 similar upper-storey windows, and in the lower storey a flat-roofed extension of the 1980s, with wide central bow window, flanked by 3-light windows. The E front also has 2 upper-storey windows, replacement glazing and doors in 2 openings for French windows, and an inserted window on the L side in the flat-roof extension. The higher service wing on the N side is 2 storeys with attic, under a half-hipped roof. Its W end wall is set back from the entrance front of the main house. It has 16-pane sash windows in lower and middle storeys and a 9-pane sash window in the attic. On its R side is a lower 2-storey projection, with small-pane sash windows in the N wall and 2-light window over a later C20 gabled addition at right angles. The N face, of rubble stone, faces a sheer cliff face and has an inserted upper-storey window and dormer on the L side A narrow single-pitched projection under a corrugated iron roof has a round-headed door and vents to a pantry or game store. On the E side the wing projects beyond the main house. It 2-window E wall has replacement windows in earlier openings, and cross window in the attic, and in the short S wall a small-pane window in the upper storey and paired 8-pane sash windows to the attic under a gable.  

The central entrance hall leads to the main rooms on the R and rear, service rooms on the L, and the stair on the L side. The hall has elliptical arches with panelled soffits. The steep semi-circular newel stair has a balustrade to the landing. Rooms on the R and to the rear incorporate outer chambers (within the lean-to) with quadripartite plaster vaults. At the service end is a quarter-turn service stair. Main rooms retain panelled shutters.  

Listed for its special architectural interest as an early C19 villa retaining good Regency character and detail (notwithstanding alteration), and for its association with William Madocks, founder of Porthmadog.