Wyndcliffe Court
| Wyndcliffe Court | |
|---|---|
 Wyndcliffe Court | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Town or city | St. Arvans, Monmouthshire |
| Country | Wales, UK |
| Coordinates | [//tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Wyndcliffe_Court¶ms=51.6719_N_-2.6984_E_type:landmark_region: 51°40′19″N 2°41′54″W / 51.6719°N 2.6984°W] |
| Completed | 1922 |
| Client | Charles Leigh Clay |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Eric Francis |
| Designations | Grade II* listed |
Wyndcliffe Court, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of the village of St. Arvans, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a Grade II* listed country house and gardens in the Arts and Crafts style, completed in 1922. The client was Charles Leigh Clay and the architect Eric Francis. The gardens, designed by Henry Avray Tipping, are open during the summer for sculpture exhibitions.
History and architecture
Charles Leigh Clay (1867-1950) was the founder of the Claymore shipping company based in Cardiff, and the son of Henry Clay (1825-1921), who owned Piercefield House and its extensive estates in and overlooking the Wye valley. In 1910, Charles Leigh Clay commissioned a house on the high ground to the north of St Arvans village.[1] He later became High Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1926.
Because work was interrupted during the First World War, the house was not completed until 1922.[1] The architect was Eric Carwardine Francis, a local architect who had previously worked on the design of Mounton House for its owner Henry Avray Tipping, the Architectural Editor of Country Life magazine. The house is built of local stone in the "Cotswold Tudor" style, with mullion and transom windows. Architectural writer John Newman describes it as "relaxed and sophisticated".[2]
The gardens were designed by Tipping. A paved terrace has steps down to a small pool and a summerhouse, linking the different levels on the steeply sloping site. The gardens also feature sculpted topiary, a sunken garden, walled gardens, fountains, a bowling lawn and wooded walks, and remain substantially unaltered since Tipping created them.[3]
The house was given Grade II* listed building status on 14 February 2001.[4]
Current activities
Starting in May 2013, the gardens have been opened to the public on a regular basis during the summer, to showcase exhibitions of garden sculpture.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Sculpture Gardens". Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ Newman, John (2000). The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire. Penguin Books. p. 520. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
- ↑ Gerrish, Helena (2011). Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping. Frances Lincoln Ltd. pp. 150–152. ISBN 978-0-7112-3223-5.
- ↑ "Wyndcliffe Court - St.Arvan's - Monmouthshire - Wales". British Listed Buildings. 1952-01-05. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
Coordinates: 51°40′19″N 2°41′54″W / 51.6719°N 2.6984°W