Bodorgan

Bodorgan is a compact Neo-Classical mansion with a principal south-east elevation arranged as a symmetrical 2-storey, 9-window range. The centrepiece is a 3-window bowed projection. Recessed single-storey wings, added around 1830, flank the main house, with a courtyard to the rear bounded by service wings to the south-west and north-east.

The main house walls are faced with limestone ashlar masonry. The first floor has a continuous plain sill band and a shallow parapet with a moulded cornice. The windows are slightly recessed 2-pane sashes, with ground floor windows deeper than those on the first floor. A shallow hipped slate roof covers the building, with the central bowed projection topped by a shallow domed roof. Tall rectangular ashlar chimney stacks rise axially from the roof. The side elevations are similarly detailed, each containing 6 windows. The right (north-east) return forms the entrance front and has an added central limestone porch with paired Tuscan columns supporting an embossed frieze and moulded dentilled cornice. The wings are constructed of soft yellow sandstone.

The north-east wing, formerly an aviary and now used as a billiards room, has ashlar walls with a stressed moulded and dentilled cornice, shallow parapet, and continuous bevelled plinth. Its central 3-bay entrance echoes the design of the north-east porch, with French windows between paired columns beneath friezes depicting cherubs. The flanking bays are slightly recessed, each containing a round-headed recess under a moulded arch with stressed keystone, supported on engaged Tuscan pilasters. The curved, slightly advanced bays at each end of the aviary wing feature similar recessed details, with moulded capitals of the pilasters extending across the faces of the advanced bays.

The south-west wing, formerly an orangery, comprises 3 pavilions linked by shorter, plainer recessed blocks. Each pavilion features square-headed doorways with plain stressed architraves. The 3 pavilions each have arches echoing those of the north-east wing. The central pavilion has 3 bays with Tuscan pillars between French windows set into each arch, and paired Tuscan pilasters at the angles. The left (south-west) pavilion has paired arches on Tuscan pillars with paired Tuscan pilasters at the angles; this pavilion is open with seating along the rear wall. The right (north-east) bay is similarly detailed but with blocked arches and is raised by one storey to match the main house. The cornice and parapet detail matches that of the north-east wing.

The service wings to the rear comprise a main wing at the north-east end, a 3-storey range contemporary with the main house and similarly detailed. Windows are arranged symmetrically with floors divided by string courses. An extension, probably dating to the mid-to-late 19th century, comprises a tall 3-storey square-plan block at the far north-west end. Each side has 4 windows arranged 1-2-1 and recessed to give the impression of Tuscan pilasters between and at angles, supporting a moulded cornice and shallow parapet. The windows are rectangular 2-pane sashes; on the first floor they sit under lintels with recessed panels having moulded surrounds. Similar detailing appears in recesses without lights on the first and second floors.

The Poultry court lies on the south-west side of the main service wing, comprising a series of single-storey buildings (larders) faced with limestone. The 4-window range at the south-east end, in the angle between the main house and service wing, is raised to 3 storeys with limestone rubble and ashlar block lintels to the ground and first floor windows. A polygonal single-storey larder of snecked limestone masonry (with large stones at the angles) projects from the right (south-east) end, topped by a hipped slate roof. At the left (north-west) end of the north-east side of the Poultry court is a single-storey ashlar building with 3 windows and a doorway at the far left (north-west) end. An octagonal pavilion at the south-west corner has a window to each face and a hipped slate roof surmounted by a Coade stone globe finial. The eaves project and are supported on brackets carried down to wall posts on plain corbels. A glass and cast-iron verandah fronts the main building, its brackets supported on plain corbels. The floor of the Poultry court is flagged, with steps leading down to a doorway in the low linking block between the buildings along the north-east side of the court.

Along the south-west side of the Poultry court is a single-storey range (formerly brewhouse and laundry) built of rubble masonry with limestone and brick dressings. This range has been extensively altered and was refurbished in 1990. A low single-storey wing of snecked limestone masonry links it to the rear of the south-west wing of the main house, featuring voussoir lintels over openings, plank doors and casement windows.

The interior was not inspected at the time of survey, but according to Mapp, the ground plan of the main house centres on a circular entrance hall, which leads to the staircase hall to the rear and is flanked by principal reception rooms. The staircase hall also has flanking oblong rooms, one of which is the library. The service wing to the rear leads from the staircase hall and consists of rooms on either side of a wide central passage, formerly including a large kitchen, housekeeper's room, servant's hall and butler's pantry. The principal rooms contain decorative moulded cornices and friezes, with lesser rooms having plain moulded coving. The staircase hall features a stucco border around its skylight. Fireplaces are of Kilkenny marble, except for the fireplace in the circular salon, which was replaced with one of Italian marble.