Kemeys Manor

Kemeys Manor is a substantial Tudor manorhouse of early to mid 16th-century origin, with significant additions dating from the late 16th and 17th centuries. The building comprises an early to mid 16th-century tower house to the northeast with an adjoining hall and parlour wing with porch, probably dating from 1580. A storeroom was added to the northeast around 1600, and a further parlour range was added to the southeast between 1600 and 1620. The house is three storeys tall, constructed of sandstone with rubble elevations, roughly coursed with some dressed sandstone quoins, window dressings and doorways. The roof is hipped and slated with overhanging boarded eaves and dates from the mid 17th century, though it was reconstructed in 1961. The house features a distinctive array of chimney stacks: two sets of four diagonally set shafted chimneys to the south end, two further axial stacks to the hall, and two matching stacks to the northeast range.

The west front elevation is five bays wide and displays a three-storey gabled porch of asymmetric form showing two phases of construction, with stone coping and slated roof. The porch contains a four-centred doorway with sunk spandrels. Original window openings survive on the west elevation, though some have undergone later restoration. Windows light the hall on the ground floor and the upper floors, while small attic windows are set under the projecting eaves. The south elevation (garden front) clearly demonstrates the chronological development of the house, with a visible change in masonry quality—the left-hand side being noticeably cruder. Windows are present on three elevations, aligned but not symmetrical, with many surviving in their original form.

The east (rear) elevation has two projecting wings at the south and north ends. The southern wing features modern timber mullion and transomed windows to all floors except the ground floor, which retains a two-light ovolo-moulded window. The main range behind shows further breaks in masonry style. The left side has two-light and three-light mullioned windows, while the right side features modern casements to the first and second floors. At ground level is a lean-to extension with a slated roof, containing two stone four-light ovolo-moulded mullioned and transomed windows and a wide four-centred dressed stone doorway. To the north stands a lower one-and-a-half storey range with an ovolo-moulded two-light stone window on the south elevation and a second two-light window with sunk chamfered mullion on the east elevation.

Windows throughout the house display sunk chamfered mullions, sunk spandrels, and hoodmoulds with a variety of decorative label stops, demonstrating the sophisticated fenestration schemes of its various building phases.

The interior is entered on the west side through the porch via an inner four-centred doorway, with a narrow round-headed stone doorway to the left. The hall contains two fireplaces: to the north is a fire with a timber bressumer and dressed stone jambs and stops (heavily eroded), while to the south is a rebuilt fire with a voussoired arch. Above the southern fireplace is a stone plaque dated 1623 depicting George Kemeys alongside an hourglass and the Kemeys coat-of-arms with the Welsh motto "when the wind stops so does time". The hall ceiling features exposed beams of irregular width arranged in a coffered design. On the west wall to the right of the entrance is a mural stair providing access to a room above the porch, the second floor, and the attic.

To the southwest of the hall is the parlour, containing a dressed stone fireplace with diagonal stops. Adjacent to this is a second parlour notable for its fine Carolean moulded plaster ceiling. This ceiling features a deeply moulded wreath of fruit and flowers enclosing a central floral motif, itself surrounded by a geometric ribbed design, with plain moulded cornice and frieze. A small fire with rubble jambs is set on the west wall.

To the northeast corner of the hall is a well-type staircase with moulded treads, some replaced balusters, and a moulded oak handrail. The stair strings retain remnants of decorative plasterwork depicting figures entwined in foliage rising up the staircase.

The first-floor landing on the south side displays three two-panelled doorways with applied mitred mouldings forming lozenges. Between and above these doorways is deeply moulded plasterwork of exceptional quality depicting Solomonic columns flanking the central doorway with ivy, vines and fruits entwined, topped with angels heads in an attitude of prayer and Tudor roses above. To each side are oval wreaths (similar to those in the parlour below) above the two outer doorways, with angels heads at their centres. At each outer corner of the wreaths are further angels heads. It has been suggested that these decorative elements may depict members of the Kemeys family.