Llanarth Court

Last updated
Llanarth Court
Llanarth Court 1, Monmouthshire.jpg
"A monster Neo-classical house"
TypeHouse
Location Llanarth, Monmouthshire
Coordinates 51°47′22″N2°53′58″W / 51.7894°N 2.8995°W / 51.7894; -2.8995 Coordinates: 51°47′22″N2°53′58″W / 51.7894°N 2.8995°W / 51.7894; -2.8995
Built1771 and rebuilt 1849-51
ArchitectW. and E. Habershon (rebuilding)
Architectural style(s) Neo-classical
Governing body Priory Group
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameLlanarth Court
Designated6 May 1952
Reference no.1925
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameGatehouse at Llanarth Court
Designated3 January 1995
Reference no.15661
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameGates and Piers to former north drive to Llanarth Court
Designated15 March 2000
Reference no.22994
Official nameLlanarth Court
Designated1 February 2022
Reference no.PGW(Gt)13(Mon)
ListingGrade II
Monmouthshire UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Llanarth Court in Monmouthshire

Llanarth Court is a late-18th-century country house with substantial 19th-century alterations in Llanarth, Monmouthshire, Wales. The court was built for the Jones family of Treowen and was subsequently the home of Ivor Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen, whose family still owns much of the Llanarth estate, although not the court itself. The court is a Grade II* listed building and is now a private hospital. The gardens are included on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

Contents

History

The first house recorded on the property goes back to the early medieval period and was called Hendre obaith, Home of the Old Faith. [lower-alpha 1] [2] It came into the possession of ancestors of the Jones family well before 1469. [2] In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, it was the home of Philip Jones, merchant and member of parliament for Monmouth Boroughs. [3] His family subsequently rebuilt the house as Llanarth Court in the seventeenth century. [2]

The current house was originally built around 1770 [2] for John Jones. [4] It was remodelled 1849–51 by Edward Habershon and his brother, W. G. Habershon, in an Italianate style. [2] Lord Treowen, the ennobled descendant of the Joneses, died in 1933 and, his only son having predeceased him, [lower-alpha 2] the court was inherited by his daughter, the Hon. Fflorens Roch, who gave it to the Roman Catholic Church in 1948. [2] The church passed the court to the Dominican Order which ran a school there, Blackfriars School, until 1967. The Benedictine Order then took over the building, operating a preparatory school for Belmont Abbey School. [6] The school closed in 1986 and the court was sold to AMI Healthcare for conversion into a private hospital. [2] The hospital is currently run by the Priory Group and caters for patients with mental illness or intellectual disabilities. [7] A fire at the court in late April 2020 saw no loss of life, but the destruction of a modern ward. The court itself was undamaged. [8] [9]

Description

The gatehouse on the southwest drive The gatehouse of Llanarth Court - geograph.org.uk - 1671536.jpg
The gatehouse on the southwest drive

The architectural historian John Newman describes the court as a "monster Neo-classical house", [4] consisting of a three-storey, double pile block of thirteen bays. The entrance porch, reputedly modelled on the temple at Paestum, [4] has been removed. The Habershons' work included the rendering and much classical decoration. [2] The interior has been modernised and institutionalised and contains "little of either the later eighteenth or the mid-nineteenth centuries". [4] The Monmouthshire author and artist Fred Hando, recording a visit to the court in the 1960s, noted the presence of two pictures by Tiepolo, The Healing at the Pool of Siloam and The Woman taken in Adultery. [10] The latter is now in the collection of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. [11] The court used to contain the original hall screen from Treowen, but, writing in 1999, Newman stated that the screen "is likely to be returned thither", [4] a view which echoed that of Hando, writing 30 years earlier; "The oak screen dated 1627 was transferred from Treowen where, in my opinion, it would be more happily housed". [12]

The gardens surrounding the court are a "well preserved early 19th century landscape park". [13] It is possible that the landscape gardeners Samuel Lapidge and John Claudius Loudon were involved in its design. [13] Developments after World War II significantly altered the landscape and many features have been lost, including the kitchen garden dating from the 19th century, [14] and the lake, which is now silted-up. [13] The gardens are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. [15] The Church of St Mary and St Michael, originally the private chapel for the court, stands in the grounds and has its own Grade II* Listing. [16] The gatehouse to the southwest of the court, [17] and the gates and gate piers to the north have their own Grade II listings. [18]

Footnotes

  1. Joseph Bradney, in his multi-volume study A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time , translates Hendre-obaith as "the old home of hope". He goes on to record the descent of the Joneses of Llanarth Court back to Gwilym ap Jenkyn of Wern-duu who died in 1377. [1]
  2. Lord Treowen's son, Elydir John Bernard Herbert, was killed shortly after fighting at the Third Battle of Gaza, in December 1917. His parents built a small hamlet, Tre Elydir, on their adjoining Llanover estate, in his memory. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piercefield House</span> Neo-classical country house

Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical country house near St Arvans, Monmouthshire, Wales, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the centre of Chepstow. The central block of the house was designed in the very late 18th century, by, or to the designs of, Sir John Soane. It is flanked by two pavilions, of slightly later date, by Joseph Bonomi the Elder. The house sits within Piercefield Park, a Grade I listed historic landscape, that was created in the 18th century as a notable Picturesque estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hendre</span> Historic country house in Monmouthshire, Wales

The Hendre, in Rockfield, is the only full-scale Victorian country house in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales. The ancestral estate of the Rolls family, it was the childhood home of Charles Rolls, the motoring and aviation pioneer and the co-founder of Rolls-Royce. Constructed in the Victorian Gothic style, the house was developed by three major architects, George Vaughan Maddox, Thomas Henry Wyatt and Sir Aston Webb. It is located in the civil parish of Llangattock-Vibon-Avel, some 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of the town of Monmouth. Built in the eighteenth century as a shooting box, it was vastly expanded by the Rolls family in three stages during the nineteenth century. The house is Grade II* listed and is now the clubhouse of the Rolls of Monmouth Golf Club. The gardens and landscape park, mainly laid out by Henry Ernest Milner in the later 19th century, are designated Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clytha Castle</span> Folly in Clytha, Monmouthshire

Clytha Castle is a folly near Clytha between Llanarth and Raglan in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Dating from 1790, the castle was built by William Jones, owner of the Clytha Park estate as a memorial to his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1787. The castle is an example of the Gothic Revival and comprises three towers, of which two are habitable, and linking, castellated curtain walls. Long attributed to John Nash, recent research has confirmed that the architect was John Davenport of Shrewsbury. The folly has views towards the Sugar Loaf and Skirrid mountains on the easternmost edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Described by the architectural historian John Newman as one of the two "outstanding examples of late eighteenth century fanciful Gothic in the county", Clytha Castle is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treowen</span> 17th-century house in Wales

Treowen is an early 17th-century house in Monmouthshire, Wales, regarded as "the most important gentry house in the county". It is located in open countryside within the parish of Wonastow, about ½ mile (1 km) north-east of the village of Dingestow, and 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Monmouth. After being used as a farmhouse for three centuries, Treowen now operates as a conference and functions venue and holds the annual Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival. It is a Grade I listed building, and its gardens are designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clytha Park</span> House in Clytha, Monmouthshire

Clytha Park, Clytha, Monmouthshire, is a 19th-century Neoclassical country house, "the finest early nineteenth century Greek Revival house in the county." The wider estate encompasses Monmouthshire's "two outstanding examples of late eighteenth century Gothic", the gates to the park and Clytha Castle. The owners were the Jones family, later Herbert, of Treowen and Llanarth Court. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanvihangel Court</span> Tudor country house in Llavihangel Crucorney, Monmouthshire, Wales

LlanvihangelCourt, Llanvihangel Crucorney, is a Tudor country house in Monmouthshire, Wales. The architectural historian John Newman, in his Gwent/Monmouthshire volume of The Buildings of Wales series described the court as "the most impressive and richly decorated house of around 1600 in Monmouthshire". The origins of the house are medieval, with a traditional date of construction of 1471. The building was given its present appearance by a substantial enlargement and re-casing of circa 1600 by Rhys Morgan, of the family of the original owners. In the very early 17th century it was owned briefly by Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingestow Court</span> House in Monmouthshire, Wales

Dingestow Court, at Dingestow, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a Victorian country house with earlier origins and later additions. The architectural historian John Newman describes it as "one of the county's major houses" and Cadw notes its "entertaining confection of styles". The court is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonastow Court</span> Building in Wonastow, Wales

Wonastow Court, in Wonastow, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a 19th-century country house with earlier origins and later additions. The court is a Grade II listed building, and its gardens are listed, also at Grade II, on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Argoed, Penallt</span> House in Penallt, Monmouthshire

The Argoed, Penallt, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a Victorian country house dating from the 1860s, with earlier origins from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is a Grade II* listed building and the garden is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The English meaning of the Welsh word argoed is 'by a wood'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade I listed buildings in Monmouthshire</span>

Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with the other major towns being Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The county is 850 km2 in extent, with a population of 95,200 as of 2020. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which came into effect in 1996, and comprises some sixty percent of the historic county. Between 1974 and 1996, the county was known by the ancient title of Gwent, recalling the medieval Welsh kingdom. In his essay on local government in the fifth and final volume of the Gwent County History, Robert McCloy suggests that the governance of "no county in the United Kingdom in the twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire</span> List of buildings in principal area of Wales

Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with the other major towns being Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The county is 850 km2 in extent, with a population of 95,200 as of 2020. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which came into effect in 1996, and comprises some sixty percent of the historic county. Between 1974 and 1996, the county was known by the ancient title of Gwent, recalling the medieval Welsh kingdom. In his essay on local government in the fifth and final volume of the Gwent County History, Robert McCloy suggests that the governance of "no county in the United Kingdom in the twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moynes Court</span> Historic site in Monmouthshire, Wales

Moynes Court is a Grade II* listed building in the village of Mathern, Monmouthshire, Wales, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south west of Chepstow. An earlier building was rebuilt as a private residence by Francis Godwin, Bishop of Llandaff, in about 1609/10, and much of the building remains from that period. Its grounds contain earthworks thought to be the foundations of an earlier moated manor house. The gatehouse to the court has a separate Grade II* listing. The garden at the court is on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldbrook Park</span> House in Llanover, Monmouthshire

Coldbrook Park, Llanover, Monmouthshire, Wales, was a major country house and estate. Home successively to the Herberts, the Hanburys and the Halls, the house was demolished in 1954. The estate, which remains privately owned, is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cenedlon's Church, Rockfield</span> Church located in Monmouthshire, Wales

St Cenedlon's is a parish church in the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. The dedication to St Cenedlon is unusual and the history of the saint is obscure. Some sources suggest that she was a daughter of Brychan king of Brycheiniog while others identify her as the wife of King Arthfael ab Ithel, king of Glywysing. The existing church dates from the Middle Ages but only the tower remains from that period. After the English Reformation, the surrounding area of north Monmouthshire became a refuge for Catholics and Matthew Pritchard (1669-1750), Roman Catholic bishop and Vicar Apostolic of the Western District is buried at the church. By the mid-19th century the church was in ruins and a complete reconstruction was undertaken by the ecclesiastical architects John Pollard Seddon and John Prichard in around 1860. St Cenedlon's is an active parish church in the Diocese of Monmouth. It is designated by Cadw as a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tal-y-coed Court</span> House in Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern, Monmouthshire

Tal-y-coed Court,, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a Victorian country house. Constructed in 1881–1883, it was built for the Monmouthshire antiquarian Joseph Bradney, author of A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time. A Grade II* listed building, the house is a "fine historicist essay in the Queen Anne Style, one of the earliest examples in Wales." Its gardens and park are designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Pierre Hotel Gatehouse</span> Gatehouse in Mathern, Monmouthshire

The Gatehouse and attached range, at the St Pierre Hotel, St Pierre, Mathern, Monmouthshire are the most significant remains of the mansion built by the Lewis family in the late 15th century and owned by them until 1924. The original house was built by William Lewis, and extended by his son George, between 1475 and 1508. After the Lewises sold up, the house had a variety of owners and was converted to the clubhouse of a golf club in 1962. It has since been massively extended as a hotel and country club. The gatehouse and range have Grade II* listed building status. The surrounding gardens are included on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wern-ddu Farmhouse, Llantilio Pertholey</span> Farmhouse in Llantilio Pertholey, Monmouthshire

Wern-ddu farmhouse, Llantilio Pertholey, Monmouthshire is a farmhouse of 17th century origins. It has been significantly altered in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and the Monmouthshire antiquarian, Sir Joseph Bradney recorded that it had "suffered so much by continual alterations that it shows but little of its antiquity". It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kemeys Manor</span> House in Newport, Wales

Kemeys Manor, Langstone, Newport, Wales, is a manor house dating from the 13th century. The family that built it was established in South Wales in the Middle Ages by Edward, Lord of Kemeys and the manor was held by his descendants until the 18th century. The building was greatly enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries and comprises a tower, hall and attached ranges. Kemeys is a Grade II* listed building. A barn to the north of the house, and Kemeys Folly to the south, are both listed at Grade II. The park surrounding the house is listed Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The manor and the folly remain private residences and are not open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth-hir House</span> House in Rockfield, Monmouthshire

Perth-hir House, Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales, was a major residence of the Herbert family. It stood at a bend of the River Monnow, to the north-west of the village. At its height in the 16th century, the mansion, entered by two drawbridges over a moat, comprised a great hall and a number of secondary structures. Subsequently in the ownership of the Powells, and then the Lorimers, the house became a centre of Catholic recusancy following the English Reformation. By the 19th century, the house had declined to the status of a farmhouse and it was largely demolished in around 1830. Its ruins, and the site which contains considerable remnants of a Tudor garden, are a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Registered historic parks and gardens in Monmouthshire</span> List of buildings in county of Wales

Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with other large settlements being Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which came into effect in 1996. It has an area of 850 km2, with a population of 93,200 as of 2021. Monmouthshire comprises some sixty percent of the historic county, and was known as Gwent between 1974 and 1996.

References

  1. Bradney 1992a, p. 305.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cadw. "Llanarth Court (Grade II*) (1925)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. Members Constituencies Parliaments Surveys. "Jones, Philip (d.1603), of London and Llanarth, Mon". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Newman 2000, pp. 264–5.
  5. Jones, Dominic (11 November 2017). "The village built as a war memorial". South Wales Argus.
  6. MCC 2013, p. 11.
  7. "Priory Llanarth Court". The Priory Group. 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  8. "60 firefighters sent to mental health unit blaze". BBC News. 28 April 2020.
  9. O'Neill, Ryan (28 April 2020). "Firefighters tackle large fire at hospital". walesonline. Wales Online.
  10. Hando 1964, p. 68.
  11. "Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery". National Museum Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. Hando 1964, p. 67.
  13. 1 2 3 "Llanarth Court". Parks & Gardens UK. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. "Llanarth Court, Garden, Llanarth (265944)". Coflein. RCAHMW. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  15. Cadw. "Llanarth Court (PGW(Gt)13(MON))". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  16. Cadw. "Roman Catholic Church of St Mary and St Michael (Grade II*) (1971)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  17. Cadw. "Gatehouse at Llanarth Court (Grade II) (15661)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  18. Cadw. "Gates and Piers to former north drive to Llanarth Court (Grade II) (22994)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 6 June 2020.

Sources