Gatehouse at Cors y Gedol Hall

Early C17 symmetrically planned, non-defensive gatehouse. Built of mortared rubble masonry including long stones in the build; sandstone dressings. Slate roof with stone parapet copings surmounted by raised ball finials; cross gabled roof to central block with stone stacks and surmounted by a timber bellcote with pyramid slate roof surmounted by a weathercock. The central block is 3-storeyed, and on each side, the ground floor has central wide segmental archway with dressed voussiors and jambs with quarter round and hollow mouldings; at the apex is a facetted keystone with the date 1630, below the initials W A V, and on the lowest facet a wheel shape. Above the arch is a mullioned window of 3 round-headed lights and a pointed hoodmould. In the upper storey is a single handed clock face with pointed hoodmould over; at each corner of the tower's roof is a crude gargoyle in the shape of a human face. Flanking wings are 2-storey with the first floor windows in gabled dormers housing 3-light mullioned windows with straight heads. There are no ground floor windows on the S elevation, and paired 2-light mullioned windows flanking the arch to N; each gable has single windows in the apex and all windows have quarter round mouldings.

The interior was not inspected at the time of the survey, but was recorded by Smith in the Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society in mid C20. At that time the ground floor had a single room to each side of the passage, each had ceiling beams with quarter round mouldings; the moulding being continued at the stops. The joists had plain chamfers with lamb's tongue stops. The first floor had 3 rooms, one in the tower and one to either side. In each of the latter a stone fireplace was recorded, with crudely proportioned classical ornament in the shape of a shelf supported by pilasters. On the architraves motifs in the form of a cross saltire were recorded, the device of the Vaughans. The overmantel in the E room has 2 blank shields of arms with moulded pilasters on either side.