Rhosygilwen

Rhosygilwen is a country house designed by George Morgan of Carmarthen for the Rev Robert Colby, dating to the 18th century. The house suffered fire damage in 1985 and has since been reroofed. It is constructed of grey Cilgerran cut stone with Bath stone dressings, covered by a slate roof with coped gables and rebuilt brick stacks. The architectural style is Jacobean, and the main front is near-symmetrical with five windows over two-and-a-half storeys, featuring one rebuilt ridge stack. The windows on the main floors are ashlar mullion and transom windows, while those in the attic have mullions with curved heads.

The east front has varied gables: the left is straight-sided with a two-light window, the centre has steep curved sides and a semi-circular shell pediment above a two-light window, and the right is shaped curved with a three-light window and a finial. A projecting two-storey bay to the left features five-light windows and a stone hipped roof, accompanied by a two-light window on each floor. A central projecting porch bay has a strapwork parapet, a first-floor two-light mullion window, a plaque set under a stepped hood, and an arched doorway with a hood. Ledged doors are present. Ashlar-panelled piers clasp the outer angles. The fourth bay has a three-light window to the ground floor and a two-light window above. The fifth bay is similar, but with an ashlar modillion cornice under the gable.

The south end is rendered, with a gable featuring kneelers, a three-light attic window, and a two-light first-floor window. The north end features a low, one-and-a-half-storey service wing with a rebuilt tall brick ridge stack, a hipped end roof, and a two-window range of two-light windows, those above breaking the eaves under stone shaped curved gables.

The garden front has a parallel roof with two rebuilt ridge stacks and shouldered gables at each end. The left gable features kneelers, a finial, a three-light attic window, and three-light windows to the main floors. To the right are two-light windows on each floor, followed by a central shaped curved dormer gable with a two-light window. A large three-light leaded stair-window with two transoms is situated over a projecting single-storey range with a strapwork parapet and a door between two windows. The right-end bay was gutted in 1993, but retains a first-floor three-light window and a partially collapsed gable with the sill of a four-light window.

The south return, continuous with the south end of the main front, includes a shaped curved dormer gable with a two-light window, first-floor three and two-light windows, and a ground-floor large square bay window with a strapwork parapet. The north end has service ranges with two straight gables over eaves-breaking two-light windows, and a hipped north end roof. A narrow court, providing access to a service door, lies between the two north service ranges.

The upper floors were destroyed by fire in 1985, but the large oak staircase remains, complete with an ornate rail, and a stained glass stair-light. The ground floor’s two main rooms and entrance hall have been joined into one large space.