Llanwenarth House

Llanwenarth House is a small country house, formerly a hotel, located off the B4246 road, west of Govilon and Llanfoist, just south of Abergavenny in the Usk valley of Monmouthshire, Wales. It was built in the late 16th century, although the drawing room and some of the furnishings are from the Georgian period.[1]

Llanwenarth House
The hills around the house have been suggested as the inspiration for the hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful
TypeHouse
LocationGovilon, Monmouthshire
Coordinates51.8195°N 3.0768°W / 51.8195; -3.0768
Builtc.16th century
Architectural style(s)Vernacular
Governing bodyPrivately owned
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameLlanwenarth House
Designated9 January 1956
Reference no.1977
Llanwenarth House is located in Monmouthshire
Llanwenarth House
Location of Llanwenarth House in Monmouthshire

History

The exact date of the building of the house is unknown, although there are title deeds dated to 1602 for the house.[2] In the 17th and 18th century the house was known to be owned by the Morgan family.[2] Dassie Morgan mentioned the house in her will, dated October 7, 1620, which also requested the repair of the nearby Llanwenarth Bridge.[3] The house was originally known as Ty-mawr, "the great house", a common designation in the county.[3] In the late 18th century, Joshua Morgan occupied the house, while serving as High Sheriff of Monmouthshire.[4] James Humfrey, a graduate of Trinity College, Oxford came into possession of the house in 1862 on the death of his mother Lucy Morgan, the last descendant of the Llanwenarth Morgans,[2] and the house remained in the Humfrey family for the next two generations. Around 1946 the house was purchased by Brigadier William Albany Fetherstonhaugh and sold following his death in 1947.

In the 19th century, Cecil Frances Alexander was a visitor to the house and its grounds have been suggested as the inspiration for her hymn, "All Things Bright and Beautiful".[5]

The house became an hotel in the 20th century and was a recipient of The Good Hotel Guide César Award for the Best Welsh Country House of the Year of 2002, given to the best hotels in the United Kingdom.[1] It was noted for its Georgian log fire in the drawing room.[1][6] The Good Hotel Guide described the decor of the house as being "delightfully eccentric".[1] Formerly owned by Bruce and Amanda Weatherill, as of 2002 it contained 5 double guestrooms,1 of which is on the ground floor, although in 1988 it reportedly only had four guestrooms.[1][7]

In 2015, it was reported that a property developer had illegally modified the house[8] after a tip of in 2009.[9]

Architecture

The house is a Grade II* listed building, listed on 1 September 1956.[10] It is of three storeys each of three bays each with a bay window on each floor. There is an extension on the left side of the house.

References
  1. Raphael, Caroline; Balmer, Desmond (2001). The Good Hotel Guide 2002. Ebury Press London. p. 400.
  2. Nicholas, Thomas (1 August 1991). Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County Families of Wales. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 778. ISBN 978-0-8063-1314-6. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  3. Bradney, Joseph Alfred (1992). History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans Into Wales Down to the Present Time. Academy Books. ISBN 978-1-873361-13-9. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  4. Monthly magazine and British register. Printed for R. Phillips. 1798. p. 233. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  5. "'Bright and beautiful' hymn mansion for sale". BBC News. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  6. Grosvenor, Tamara (1 March 2004). Britain & Ireland. Interlink Books. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-56656-536-3. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  7. Sutton, Remar (5 April 1988). Body worry. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-009744-3. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  8. Wright, Benjamin (19 August 2015). "Property developer who 'used children's gravestones to decorate mansion' ordered to pay £300,000 – or face jail". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  9. "Listed Buildings Prosecutions Database Commentary" (PDF). IHBC. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  10. Cadw. "Llanwenarth House (Grade II*) (1977)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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