Abercamlais is a country house at Trallong in the Usk valley between Brecon and Sennybridge in Powys, Wales. Possibly dating back to the Middle Ages, it underwent various alterations and additions during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries accounting for all or most of what may be seen today. It is a Grade I listed building.
| Abercamlais | |
|---|---|
.jpg) View of Abercamlais through its gate piers | |
| Type | House |
| Location | Trallong, Powys, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°57′00″N 3°30′27″W / 51.95°N 3.5074°W |
| Built | early 1800s |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical, with earlier origins and later additions |
| Governing body | Privately owned |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Abercamlais |
| Designated | 17 January 1963 |
| Reference no. | 6785 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Abercamlais Bridge (Pont Abercamlais) and door in attached wall to northeast |
| Designated | 17 January 1963 |
| Reference no. | 6786 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Pigeon house at Abercamlais |
| Designated | 17 January 1963 |
| Reference no. | 6787 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Bridge over Camlais to north of the Pigeon House at Abercamlais |
| Designated | 27 May 2005 |
| Reference no. | 84439 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Stable court at Abercamlais |
| Designated | 27 May 2005 |
| Reference no. | 84454 |
  Location of Abercamlais in Powys | |
History and description
editThe Abercamlais estate has been in the possession of the Williams family since Elizabethan times.[1] In the early 18th century, the existing mansion was rebuilt as a three-storey block in a Neoclassical style. In the 19th century, a Tudorbethan porch was added, Sir George Gilbert Scott being suggested as the architect.[1] In the early 20th century, further additions were made by W. D. Caröe.[1] Robert Scourfield and Richard Haslam, in their Powys volume in the Buildings of Wales series, note that the interior contains examples of architectural salvage, gathered by the house's occupants from demolished buildings elsewhere and re-fitted at Abercamlais. Examples include a fireplace from Fonthill Splendens and wood panelling from Brecon Priory.[2]
Also of note is an early eighteenth century octagonal dovecote which has a Grade II* listing.[3] The base of the pigeon house forms a bridge over a stream, and was fitted out as a latrine, a device Scourfield and Haslam consider, "simplicity itself, with useful and ornamental qualities into the bargain".[2] The gardens attached to the house extend on both sides of the Usk and are connected by a grade II*-listed Elizabethan three arch stone bridge,[4] and a Grade II-listed wrought iron suspension bridge,[5] constructed by Crawshay Bailey in the middle of the nineteenth century.[6][7] A third bridge over the Camlais Brook is also listed.[8] A walled garden north of the brook,[9] the stables,[10] and a lodge at the head of the drive are all listed at Grade II.[11]
Less than half a mile downstream is Penpont Manor House with which comparisons are made, the two houses having some shared history. Abercamlais remains a private home but is occasionally open for visitors.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c Cadw. "Abercamlais including Dovecote Cottage (Grade I) (6785)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Scourfield & Haslam 2013, pp. 562–563.
- ^ Cadw. "Pigeon house at Abercamlais (Grade II*) (6787)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Abercamlais Bridge (Pont Abercamlais) and door in attached wall to northeast (Grade II*) (6786)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Suspension bridge at Abercamlais (Grade II) (6788)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Abercamlais: Grade 1 listed mansion house in the Brecon Beacons National Park".
- ^ "Abercamlais (aber-camlais) Mansion, Trallong (25005)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ Cadw. "Bridge over Camlais to the north of the Pigeon House at Abercamlais (Grade II) (84439)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Walls of walled garden north of suspension bridge (Grade II) (84458)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Stable Court at Abercamlais (Grade II) (84454)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Lodge at Abercamlais (Grade II) (84461)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Family history". Abercamlais Estate. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
Sources
edit- Scourfield, Robert; Haslam, Richard (2013). Powys: Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire. The Buildings of Wales. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-18508-9.