Llanmihangel Place

Llanmihangel Place

The south elevation presents two storeys, distinguished by a three-storey tower to the northwest which rises above the ridge of the hall range. A distinctive gabled stair turret projects from the east end of the hall range at its junction with the east range. The ground floor features an approximately central doorway of dressed lias stone with a four-centred head, plain chamfers and broad diagonal stops. The south face of the southeast range displays a large ashlar gable stack. At first floor level on the left side is a long leaded 19th-century stained glass window depicting St. Michael, set within a former doorway. The north elevation has, to the right, at first floor level, a band of corbelled stonework from which rises a substantial coursed rubble hall stack. At basement level is a relieving arch, possibly indicating the former position of an opposed doorway to that on the south elevation. The wall returns to the right with a four-centred doorway at first floor level accessed via a timber stage. The north gable of the north range contains 44 pigeon holes arranged in a pyramidal form above a modern slate lean-to.

The interior is remarkably intact, displaying strongly Elizabethan and William and Mary character. The floor plan illustrates the persistence of the first-floor hall tradition into the 16th century and possibly incorporates an earlier medieval hall within its structure. The hall is accessed by a substantial stone stair rising from a segmentally arched undercroft, featuring a moulded handrail carried on corbels. The hall rises to one-and-a-half storeys and extends three bays in length; it is likely that it was originally longer but was truncated in the later 16th century by the insertion of the great stair. The finest surviving intact late Elizabethan decorative plasterwork ceiling in Glamorgan adorns this hall, comprising moulded ribs in a typical repeating geometric pattern. Beneath the ceiling, the walls are panelled to full height with 17th-century small fielded panels with moulded posts, rails and muntins which appear to have been reused and are of two dates. Carved frieze panels on the north, west and south sides feature fine deeply carved panels in Renaissance style. At the east end is a series of similarly fine panels; above the central panel are gilded carved arms of Elizabeth I, set between two pilasters and surmounted by a cusped pediment. Beneath this is a pair of double bolection-moulded doors dating to around 1700. The 16th-century hall fireplace (possibly reused) on the north wall, set towards the east end, is amongst the finest of its period surviving in Glamorgan. It is carved in Sutton stone, with carved heraldic panels over a depressed, roll-moulded four-centred head with chamfered hexagonal bases and embattled cornice. A contemporary cast iron heraldic fireback is present. The hall has broad early oak floorboards. At the east end of the hall lies the panelled parlour, with full-height bolection-moulded, painted panelling of around 1700 or earlier 18th century, and a bolection-moulded fire surround concealing a four-centred dressed stone surround beneath. A small four-centred doorway to the right of the fireplace is also concealed beneath a bolection-moulded jib door. The ceiling is plain plaster with a large broad chamfered plastered beam. Above the fire was formerly a naive painting of a hound set within a bolection-moulded surround, now relocated to the kitchen at the west end.

The principal chamber is accessed via a cranked staircase from a secondary hallway leading from the main stair to the kitchen and west range. Two panelled, raised and fielded doors, constructed in poplar, serve the chamber. The chamber retains a full-height scheme of bolection-moulded deal panelling. A 19th-century decorative plaster ceiling of strongly geometric form with applied fleur-de-lys ornaments the space. A 17th-century partition forming a closet at the north end of the room, now concealed by panelling, is of timber frame and plaster construction with a squint (now concealed). A latrine shute at the west corner of the closet retains part of the original oak seat. The kitchen contains a large open fire with timber lintel and a beehive bake oven (rebuilt) in the north jamb. The liassic slab floor is exposed, and broad chamfered ceiling beams remain visible. The basement contains plain segmentally vaulted chambers. At the base of the principal stairs is a dressed stone doorway with bullnose stops. A more acutely pointed doorway with similar stops survives at the base of a mural stair leading to the parlour at the east end of the hall within the north wall of the basement. These doorways may indicate early origins for the present hall range. Other doorways are mostly four-centred, fitted with 19th-century doors.