Pentwyn, Rockfield, Monmouthshire is a Victorian

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

dating from the mid 19th century. Its origins are older but the present building was constructed by the Monmouth architect

George Vaughan Maddox George Vaughan Maddox (1802–27 February 1864) was a nineteenth-century British architect and builder, whose work was undertaken principally in the town of Monmouth, Wales, and in the wider county. Working mainly in a Neo-Classical style, hi ...

for himself in 1834–1837, and subsequently altered by him after a later sale. It was partly converted into apartments for letting in the 20th century before reverting to use as a family house. The house is Grade II* listed.

History

The Monmouthshire historian Sir Joseph Bradney, in the ''Hundred of Skenfrith'' volume of his ''

A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time ''A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present Time'' is a study of the county of Monmouthshire written by Sir Joseph Bradney and published by Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke of London between 1904 and 193 ...

'', records that the property was originally owned by the Vaughan family of Llanrothal. In 1834, James Vaughan left the house to his nephew George Vaughan Maddox. Maddox, from a family of architects, had a significant practice in Monmouthshire and his works in Monmouth gave the county town, "its particular architectural flavour". Maddox certainly undertook works at Pentwyn on his own behalf, and Bradney suggests he designed further improvements after selling the property to the Reverend Canon John Harding in 1864. However, Maddox died in that year and Cadw considers that most of the improvements and extensions to the house predate the sale. In the 20th century, the villa was converted into apartments. It is currently for sale.

Architecture and description

The architectural historian John Newman describes the house as " Tudoresque" in style. Cadw prefers a description of Georgian Gothick. The house is of two storeys, with large attics above, and is rendered in stucco. The roofline has elaborate

bargeboard Bargeboard (probably from Medieval Latin ''bargus'', or ''barcus'', a scaffold, and not from the now obsolete synonym "vergeboard") or rake fascia is a board fastened to each projecting gable of a roof to give it strength and protection, and to ...

s and pinnacles. The interiors, which contain many original features, are similarly Gothick in design, with the exception of a large dining room dating from circa 1900 which Cadw describes as designed and decorated in an

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

taste. The building is Grade II* listed, on account of its architectural interest and its historic connections with George Vaughan Maddox.

References

Sources

* * {{Cite book , last=Newman, first=John , author-link=John Newman (architectural historian) , title=Gwent/Monmouthshire , series= The Buildings of Wales , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&dq=The+Buildings+of+Wales%3A+Gwent%2FMonmouthshire&pg=PA2 , year=2000 , publisher=

Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire Country houses in Wales