Penylan

Penylan

A substantial early 19th-century country house, painted stucco with hipped slate roofs and corniced Cilgeran stone chimney stacks, formerly featuring smaller triple shafts above. The building stands two storeys in height with three storeys to the rear, arranged on a square plan with two principal fronts.

The west entrance front comprises six bays in a 2-2-2 arrangement with a slight hipped centre projection and two ridge stacks. Rusticated angle quoins and a Cilgeran stone plinth run across both main elevations. A first floor cornice with plain frieze and eaves cornice featuring large scrolled console brackets in the frieze are characteristic of the elevation. Stucco window surrounds with bracketed sills detail all fenestration. The outer bays contain large 6-pane windows in earned architraves, while the centre has first floor quoins and two arched windows with pilaster frames, moulded arches and keystones. The ground floor centre projects as a substantial 3-bay porch with pilasters, entablature and balustrade with panelled piers. A big arched doorway with double door and large fanlight is flanked by arched windows; all three openings feature moulded arches, console keystones and side pilasters. Slate steps lead to the entrance.

The south garden front is arranged in 1-3-? bays, with the centre three bays forming a hipped canted projection. The upper outer windows are set in earned architraves, the centre three arched. The ground floor has 3-6-3-pane tripartite sash windows on either side, with pilasters, cornice and centre pediment on consoles. The canted bay windows have corniced architraves with a curved pediment to the centre window. Two ridge stacks punctuate this elevation.

The east side contains a two-window range to the left with earned architraves and three simpler bays to the right rising three storeys under the same roofline. Two ridge stacks are present. A small rear courtyard is enclosed by a three-sided two-storey rubble stone service range with hipped roofs and sashes in brick surrounds, probably formerly stuccoed as evidenced by surviving stucco architraves on the west side. The rear has an off-centre gable.

The interior preserves exceptional early 19th-century decorative schemes. The stone-paved entrance hall features bracket cornice, stencil decoration and elaborate doorways with scrolled pedimented frames, imitation marble skirting, and stencilled Greek-key fretwork and sprays on arch jambs to the stair-hall. A cantilever stone stair with iron rails rises to a top-lit stair-hall with stencilled lantern and ceiling cornice, terminating at an arched landing with marble balustrading.

The drawing room contains a white marble or alabaster fireplace with tall overmantle mirror and gilded pelmets. The walls are papered green with gold stars. An elaborate cornice frames a trompe-l'oeil strapwork ceiling border. Doorways feature carved and painted baroque pediments with stencilled architraves as in the hall, while panels bear painted neo-classical floral designs.

The music room displays fine plaster panelling with floral decoration to narrow panels and damask paper to main panels. An alabaster fireplace and stencilled doorcases are present. The ceiling contains a painted panel of cherubs surrounded by an oval of dense floral decoration, with plaster roses at the ends, scrollwork and fruit in the spandrels.

The ballroom retains painted decoration including a dated doorcase of 1864, trompe-l'oeil scrollwork and painted plaster vine-scroll. Ceiling panels are outlined with stencil patterns, and the inner bay features stencil patterns to its arch with curved doors, moulded ceiling rose and coloured cornice. The panels of the first floor arcade contain Italianate landscapes signed Miranda Mott 1958, alternated with 19th-century floral panels.