The Grondra

The Grondra is a large house, dating from the mid-18th century and later altered. Originally a central three-storey, double-depth block, it was extended in the mid-19th century with single-storey wings on either side. The house is rendered and painted, with red sandstone quoins, some of which are modern replacements. Welsh slate covers the roofs.

The main east-facing elevation, originally the entrance front, is three windows wide in the central block, with a single-window wing extending on either side. Quoins are present on both the main block and the wings, some being new. The ground floor of the main block features large tripartite sash windows, with two 2-over-2 pane windows flanking a central French casement with top lights, marginal glazing and a small, bracketed hood. All the windows have stucco surrounds. The wings have sash windows with 6-over-6 panes, also within stucco surrounds. The wings have hipped roofs supported by paired timber brackets.

The first floor of the main block has tripartite sashes flanking a 6-over-6 pane sash, echoing the ground floor arrangement. A mid-19th century balcony is positioned in front of the central window. The stucco architraves are embellished with brackets. The upper floors have smaller windows to match the proportions of those below. The roof is hipped, with paired timber brackets that are an alteration dating from the mid-19th century, demonstrably fitted over the window architraves. End stacks have weathered caps.

A tetrastyle Ionic portico with a wider gap between the central columns stands on the entrance elevation. The outer columns have the characteristic Ionic volutes set diagonally. A panelled double door, set within a stucco surround, is flanked by narrow 4-over-4 pane sashes. The wings also feature 16-pane sashes in stucco surrounds, with eaves supported by paired brackets. The main block’s upper floor has a visible sash window, and the eaves brackets extend around the entire building. A walled service courtyard is present, containing an old kitchen which was heightened in the late 20th century to create a service flat. The north elevation of the house is not visible.

Inside, the house contains late 18th-century joinery, including 6-panel doors and moulded architraves typical of the 1790s. A particularly noteworthy feature is the staircase, which rises the full height. It features arched windows with panelled reveals and keyed heads at each half landing, and a curved cantilevered stone stair with turned balusters to each tread. A mahogany handrail forms an elegant semi-circle at each landing. The stair ceiling includes a plaster cornice and a central oval. Plaster cornices and mid-19th century marble fireplaces are found in some ground floor rooms, alongside a late 18th-century Adam-style fireplace introduced after 1948. The rooms flanking the entrance, added in the mid-19th century, were likely intended as an estate office/smoking room and a billiard room.