1871 – Bryn Hedd House, Penmaenmawr, Wales

Bryn Hedd, Penmaenmawr, formerly called Plas Mariandir, was built in the late 1860s, early 1870s. A substantial Italianate villa with a belvedere tower, formerly sometimes used as a holiday home of William Gladstone. Now converted into apartments.

“Our engravings illustrate a residence which has just now been erected for Mr. Horton, in the very delightful neighbourhood, Penmanmaur, from the designs of Mr. J. Fogerty, architect.

The external walls of the basement, to the level of the plinth, are of native ashlar stone, lined with brick, with fender-walls where required. The remainder of the walls throughout are of hard brick, with white stone dressings to the windows, porch, tower, &o. The roof is covered with slates. The large entrance and staircase halls and the porch are laid with Minton’s mosaic tiles. The floors of the dining and morning rooms have a border of parquet, laid by Messrs. Howard, of London. The drawing-room ceiling is handsomely decorated by Messrs. Jackson & Son. Gas-pipes are laid throughout, and pneumatic bells are fixed. The ventilating arrangements have been considered, and flues are built with Boyd’s patent plates in the chimney-stacks, to carry off the vitilated air from the rooms. These flues are trapped with valves to prevent down-draught.

The house is heated throughout by hot air, supplied by iron tubes from an apparatus in the basement, and so arranged that the temperature in any room may be regulated. This is of great consequence and enables the house to be late uninhabited in the winter without danger of the furniture receiving injury from damp. The verandah was supplied and fixed by Messrs. McFarlane, of London. The builder was Mr. C.N. Foster, of London, and the total cost of the house, insulating chimney-pieces and grates, was 4,850, exclusive of the architect’s commission.”