Pen Moel

Pen Moel is a large Victorian mansion set in its own grounds, rebuilt in 1890 as noted on a panel over the porch. The building features snecked sandstone with ashlar dressings, some timber framing, and a plain tile roof with various stacks, particularly a prominent main stack to the left of the central gabled unit. The design is a generously organized composition in a picturesque style reminiscent of the work of Norman Shaw. The mansion extends extensively east and west beneath a sandstone crag and includes an open 4-bay verandah on the left, alongside a striking 5-storey gabled entrance unit topped with a fine glazed conservatory over an open entrance porch supported by octagonal piers and featuring very flat ogee-headed arches. To the left is a second, lower gabled unit. The building showcases a rich variety of fenestration, mostly consisting of 2 or 3-light casements with transoms. On the right, there is an octagonal turret with a conical roof, and the return gable on the far left has deep projecting eaves over a full-height canted bay. The main entrance features a well-crafted 6-panel door set in a basket handle arch, flanked by similarly headed niches. The panel over the porch also incorporates the initials PM (or MP) along with the date. Although the interior has not been inspected, it is reputed to contain the original staircase and panelling. Pen Moel is a notable example of the creativity and sensitivity to the site characteristic of late Victorian designers.