The Argoed, Penallt
House in Penallt, Monmouthshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Argoed, Penallt, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a Victorian country house dating from the 1860s, with earlier origins from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is a Grade II* listed building and the garden is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. The English meaning of the Welsh word argoed is 'by a wood'.
| The Argoed | |
|---|---|
The rear of the house | |
  Location within Monmouthshire | |
| 51.7726°N 2.6927°W | |
| Type | House |
| Location | Penallt, Monmouthshire |
| History | |
| Built | Late 16th century, mid 19th century |
| Site notes | |
| Governing body | Private |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
Official name | The Argoed |
| Designated | 15 July 1993 |
| Reference no. | 2892 |
Official name | The Argoed Garden |
| Designated | 1 February 2022 |
| Reference no. | PGW(Gt)49(Mon) |
Listing | Grade II |
History
In the 17th century the house was the home of the Proberts, local landowners, members of parliament and High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire.[a][2] Richard Potter, Chairman of the Great Western Railway and father of Beatrice Webb, bought the house in 1865 and undertook extensive rebuilding.[3] Beatrice Webb was a founder member of the Fabian Society and, in the later 19th and early 20th centuries, she entertained many prominent friends at the Argoed, including George Bernard Shaw.[4] Shaw is rumoured to have written his plays The Man of Destiny and Mrs. Warren's Profession whilst staying at the house.[5] In the 1980s, the Argoed was owned by Robert Plant of the rock band Led Zeppelin.[3]
Architecture
The architectural historian John Newman describes the Argoed as "a large, two-storeyed stone house (and) a tantalizing one."[6] The central block is original and irregular, its "windows all 18th century sashes."[6] Potter's re-building included a larger block to the south and a service wing to the north.[6] The interior has been greatly reconstructed. The grounds are largely from the 19th and 20th centuries, though they include "17th century terraces of potential archaeological interest."[4] The triangular plot has gardens which include wide gravel drives, formal lawns, terraces and ha-has which look out over the Wye valley.[4] The gardens are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales[7] and are recorded by the RCAHMW on their Coflein database.[8]