Garthmyl House

Garthmyl House is a large, red brick house, likely dating from the 18th century with later alterations, situated within its own grounds. The brickwork is in a Flemish bond pattern, topped with a slate roof and wide boarded eaves. Brick chimney stacks are prominent. The house has a symmetrical appearance with twin gabled main elevations.

The front of the house, facing southwest, features cambered arched window openings. To the left is a single window, and to the right are two windows, largely flush-set sash windows with small panes. A small-paned casement window is on the left side, and there's a keystone above the entrance, which is a six-panelled, part-glazed door with a tall six-pane overlight, set within a modern trellised porch. Several window openings have been blocked up, indicating previous changes to the layout, including a first-floor window and evidence that the main entrance has been moved on at least two occasions.

The symmetrical southeast front exhibits a flat valley between the gables and features sash windows with square voussoir heads, six, nine, and twelve panes respectively, and stone sills. Central glazed garden doors are present. A shallow plinth runs around to the northeast side, where there are various asymmetrically placed sash windows, mostly horned and with blue brick sills. The left-hand gable has only one window on the second storey, and below it is a distinctive brick cornice band with saw-tooth and dentil ornament. This band may represent the remains of the earlier 18th century eaves cornice, although there’s no clear indication of heightening in the brickwork above. The band stops short of both the corner and the junction of the two gables. The right-hand gable has two windows on each upper floor, and a Victorian shallow, splayed bay below, featuring a segmental relieving arch, modern French windows, and glazing.

A two-storey service wing extends to the northwest, with earlier origins. It’s constructed of red brick to the southwest (front) and rubble to the northeast (rear), with the rear cemented to ground floor level. The front has mostly modern windows, while a good iron and cross-framed casement window is visible on the first floor of the main house’s northwest end. Below, a flush-set small-paned sash window sits beside a half-glazed back door with a cambered head. A screen wall attached to the rear of the service wing once supported a trellised corridor linking to a billiard room, which forms the south range of an L-plan outbuilding, topped with a tall weathervane.

The interior’s plan is complicated by the several remodellings. A narrow, central entrance hall leads to the main rooms, one accessed through a diagonally set corner door. The doors have four panes, with panelled reveals and reeded architraves. The drawing room features a dado, reeded cornices, and arched openings. An altered archway indicates a change to the hall beneath the main staircase, which has straight balusters. A simpler back staircase provides alternative access. The first floor follows a similar plan with six-panel doors. A number of ornamented iron firegrates remain in place. The service range’s roof structure consists of open, twin purlins.