81936

 

II  

Designated  

22/10/2003  

22/10/2003  

The Vicarage  

 

Torfaen  

Ponthir  

Cwmbran  

Llanfrechfa  

331752  

193534  

SW  

In Llanfrechfa village on the SW side of the B4236 some 120m SE of its junction with Church Road.  

 

 

Vicarage of 1856 by Prichard & Seddon, built more or less as designed (slate banding slightly altered 1997). A fully polychrome work influenced by John Ruskin's 'Stones of Venice' of 1851-3. Original elevations and sections are in the Victoria and Albert Museum.  

Vicarage, rubble stone with dressings in Bath stone and brick, steep slate roof and two large brick chimney stacks, one at right end, the other set forward of ridge left of centre. One and a half storeys, three-bays, High Victorian Gothic influenced by John Ruskin. Colourful materials include a pinkish local walling stone squared and laid in irregular courses, Bath stone windows and door, red brick and Bath stone alternated for ground floor relieving arches, yellow brick corners, red brick sill bands and red-and-yellow brick bands at level of springing of window heads (upper band under eaves). Bands are varied in thickness, thinner on upper floor. Gable verges in nogged red brick. Slate roofs are in bands of blue and purple slates, chimneys are banded yellow and red brick with chamfered angles and nogged red brick cornices. Windows are plate-glass sashes in Gothic surrounds, cusped-pointed lights to upper floor and flat shouldered heads below, all chamfered without sills. Garden front has full-height canted bay to right breaking eaves under steep slated polygonal pointed roof with swept eaves. Steep stone gables with blind 4-pointed star panels and flush verges edged in nogged brick over eaves-breaking centre and left 2-light windows. Canted bay has 1-2-1-light windows. Ground floor has battered plinth, 2-light to left, 3-light to centre and 1-2-1-light to canted bay, prominent segmental-pointed relieving arches over each (not over side lights of canted bay). Infill of small stones set diagonally under relieving arches. End walls have the 4 bands carried around and another band in apex. Nogged brick flush verges. Left end has one first floor casement. Right end chimney breast is raised, broad from first floor up, the lower part stepped outward on 5 roll-moulded stone corbels, yellow brick quoins. Single light to ground floor each side. Rear has slightly projecting gable to left with first floor two light (the window heads blind) and ground floor 2-light left of centre and door to right. Sill band under first floor window but no other bands further up. Door is cusped pointed with redbrick and Bath stone voussoirs, window to left has relieving arch and infill as on garden front. Board door. Range to right has simpler segmental-pointed bicolour heads to timber cross-windows with yellow brick sides and flush stone sills. Lower 2 bands and lower band of upper floor are carried around. To left, a window with head above red brick band, lighting stair, and to right, a door between two windows on ground floor.  

Inner half-glazed door. Staircase to right up rear wall with short returns at foot and at landing. Closed string, moulded rail, chamfered and stopped balusters with pointed heads and quatrefoil pierced sloping pieces between each baluster. Chamfered newels with ball finials on tall necks. Panelling below stairs with trefoils. Doors are 4-panel. Drawing-room with canted bay, dining-room centre and kitchen to right. Chimneypieces removed. China pantry on opposite side of service passage.  

Included as an excellent example of a High Victorian Gothic vicarage.