Llanharan House, Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taff

Entry Name: Llanharan House

Listing Date: 22 February 1963

Last Amended: 14 November 2000

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 13156

Building Class: Domestic

ID on this website: 300013156

Location: Set in open parkland above and on the N side of the A473 0.5km E of Llanharan village.

County: Rhondda Cynon Taff

Town: Pontyclun

Community: Llanharan

Built-Up Area: Brynna

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Tagged with: Building

History

Llanharan House was built before 1750 by Rees Powell, a lawyer, and comprised the present central block with single-storey wings. The house was sold in 1806 to Richard Hoare Jenkins who was probably responsible for extending the house, principally the addition of a circular stair hall. In 1856 the house was inherited by John Blandy-Jenkins, in whose family it remained until 1954. Many alterations were made during this period, including in 1860 a bay window in the W wing, at that time a ballroom, and the extension and heightening of the E wing in 1870-1 and further remodelling of the wings in 1897-8 that included heightening of the W wing to balance the E. The W wing was also further extended at the rear, in addition to a 3-storey wing behind the main block.

Exterior

A Georgian country house faced in ashlar to the main elevations, with roughcast walls to the service wings and rear, with slate roofs and mainly roughcast stacks, comprising a 3-storey 5-bay central block with hipped roof flanked by lower 2-bay pedimented wings that are brought forward. Both wings are fenestrated to the front on 2 storeys only but the E wing is in fact 3 storeys. The main elevations have a moulded cornice with dentil frieze. The central pedimented doorway has Tuscan columns on vermiculated bases and double half-lit panel doors with small-pane glazing incorporating lozenges. Above is a semi-circular radial-glazed overlight. The windows, all under flat arches with projecting keystones, are 12-pane sashes in the lower and middle storeys, shorter in the middle storey, while the upper storey has shorter 6-pane sashes. A continuous string course is at middle-storey sill level. The wings have similar 12-pane sash windows, the W wing having its upper storey windows set above the level of the string course.

The return wall of the W wing faces the lawn and terrace and is in 2 distinct phases. Towards the front is an added canted 2-storey bay window with French windows in the lower storey, with a lower 3-bay extension set back on its L side. The rear of the house has a central stair hall top-lit by a glazed dome cupola. It is flanked by added service wings, under an outshut roof on the L side and a 3-storey gabled service wing to the R with sash windows. The roughcast side wall of the E wing has stone steps to a cellar, beyond which is a service doorway. It has sash windows in the middle storey and 4 sashes in brick surrounds in the upper storey. A further service wing, set back at right angles, has a hipped roof with stone ridge stack and sash windows.

Interior

The interior is symmetrically planned, with an entrance vestibule leading to the circular stair hall. This has a full-height geometrical stairway, the principal interior feature of the house, which has cantilevered treads with shaped ends, and plain balusters. The principal rooms are placed ensuite and include the drawing room and library in the central block, great dining parlour in the W wing and dining room in the E wing. From the stair hall are passages that also give access to the main rooms as well as the service rooms to the rear. Neo-classical details predominate, dating mainly from the early C19 remodelling of the house: the doorways have reed-moulded surrounds with swags to the entablatures beneath the cornices, panelled reveals and fielded panel doors. The rooms have decorated friezes below moulded cornices, and marble fireplaces. Windows have panelled reveals to floor level and retain panelled shutters. The great dining parlour is the mostly richly decorated of the rooms. It has a fireplace with fluted frieze and pilasters. Its ceiling, added in 1897-8, has heavily moulded ribs of fruit and flowers and a cornice of modillions and paterae. The French windows in the bay have architraves similar to the doors.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as a large well-preserved Georgian country house with symmetrical facade.

External Links

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.