The Argoed
The rear of the house
TypeHouse
LocationPenallt, Monmouthshire
Coordinates51°46′21″N 2°41′34″W / 51.7726°N 2.6927°W / 51.7726; -2.6927
BuiltLate 16th century, mid 19th century
Governing bodyPrivate
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameThe Argoed
Designated15 July 1993
Reference no.2892
Official nameThe Argoed Garden
Designated1 February 2022
Reference no.PGW(Gt)49(Mon)
ListingGrade II
The Argoed, Penallt is located in Monmouthshire
The Argoed, Penallt
Location of The Argoed in Monmouthshire

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'.

History

In the 17th century the house was the home of the Proberts, local landowners, members of parliament and High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire.[lower-alpha 1][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]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Proberts moved to The Argoed from their ancestral home, Pant Glas at Llanishen.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Newman 2000, pp. 578–579.
  2. ↑ "Henry Probert (c.1645-1719)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 "The Argoed (36392)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Cadw. "The Argoed (Grade II*) (2892)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Penny Churchill (6 August 2009). "Luxury property for sale in Monmouthshire". Country Life.
  6. 1 2 3 Newman 2000, pp. 462–3.
  7. ↑ Cadw. "The Argoed (PGW(Gt)49(MON))". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Argoed Garden, Penallt (265998)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 16 April 2022.

Bibliography


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