The Hendre

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The Hendre is a Victorian country mansion in Monmouthshire built for John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock. The original architect was Thomas Henry Wyatt. Later work, particularly the Cedar Library, was done by Sir Aston Webb. It is perhaps most famous as the childhood home of Charles Stewart Rolls, Lord Llangattock's third son, who was co-founder of Rolls Royce.

The core of the house is an early 19th century shooting box, built for John Rolls, Lord Llangattock's grandfather. The architect is unknown. The Rolls family's rising fortunes allowed for plans of rapid expansion and G V Maddox, a prominent Monmouthshire architect, was engaged but in fact little materialised. Rolls' son, also John, began a further phase of expansion, 1837-1841, employing Thomas Henry Wyatt, but the apogee of the house came in the time of his son, John, first Lord Llangattock. Using as architects, first Thomas Henry Wyatt, secondly Henry Pope, then Sir Aston Webb, he created Monmouthshire's only full-scale Victorian country house.

The Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) stayed with Lord and Lady Llangattock at the Hendre in late October - early November 1900. The Duke and Duchess were taken on motor car excursions by Charles Rolls, probably the first time that the royal couple had been in a car.

The house passed from the hands of the Rolls family in the 1980s, following a failed time-share operation, and is now the club house to a golf club.

[edit] References

• Newman J., The Buildings of Wales: Monmouthshire, (2000) Penguin Books