History

Gentry house probably of earlier to mid C18. Recorded from C16, Bishop Morgan Owen of Llandaff bequeathed the house to Thomas Williams in 1644. His son, John Williams died 1725, and his son the Rev. Thomas Williams (b 1705) was at Wern Ddu before moving to Pilroath c1749, where he died c1784. Passed to daughter and then grandson, Captain Ambrose Goddard (1780-1854). Edward Williams, gent., was recorded at Wern Ddu, 1819-35, possibly a tenant. Henry Harries Davies of Llandysul bought it in the 1870s, and is said to have insisted that his tenants kept his portrait over the mantelpiece. Daniel Thomas was occupant in 1926. Sold to present owners in 1963-4.

Exterior

House, painted stucco with slate roof and rebuilt red brick end stacks. Large external rubble stone chimney breast on N end wall. Two-storey and attic, 3-window range of 12-pane C20 windows imitating sashes, the windows set well in from each end wall. Right and centre windows closer spaced than centre and left. Small 9-pane window immediately right of door. Seven-panel door with top panel glazed in coloured glass with marginal glazing bars. Gabled later C19 timber hood. Slate-hung S end wall with 2 C20 ground floor 12-pane windows, one first floor 12-pane window to right and attic 6-pane light above.
N end wall has small 9-pane loft light, long rectangular first floor inserted window each side of chimney breast, and similarly placed ground floor inserted 12-pane sashes. Straight joint to added outshut, with small 9-pane loft light and 2 ground floor windows with brick heads. Rear has outshut, projecting further to right, with C20 window, 2-storey part to left has 2-window range of C20 windows. Red brick stack on left end.

Interior

Three room plan to ground floor with square entrance hall, a broad elliptical plaster arch on line of beam and beams over partition each side. Stone flag floor. Hall window is small but set in broader reveal. Board partition with 4-panel door into right hand parlour with stone flags, cased beam, blocked fireplace. Plastered partition under cased beam and 4-panel door into left hand kitchen with cased beam and oak beam on wall above small fireplace. No sign of large chimneybreast ever having been built, Dog-leg stair opposite entrance with closed string, stick balusters and square newels roughly chamfered and shaped at tops.
First floor landing with enclosed stairs to attic in 2 flights. N end bedroom has plastered ceiling beams to T-plan with coving in plaster panels and bead-moulding to beam edges. Small plaster rose at join. Another beam in front of fireplace. Attic roof has pine trusses one dated 1869, but reusing older collars.

Reasons for Listing

Included, notwithstanding alterations to windows etc, as a gentry house of the C18 with surviving interior features of definite quality.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503701

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)