Nanhoron was built around 1803 by Joseph Bromfield of Shrewsbury for Richard Edwards. It was built close to the site of Nanhoron Uchaf, a typical T-plan seventeenth century house, from which a datestone for 1677 survives. The earlier building now adjoins the stables and barns east of the present house. Richard Edwards seems to have first consulted Joseph Bromfield about the project in 1796, when a a sheer Neoclassical house with a curved central bay, like that later built at Rhug, was proposed. A rather smaller version of five by four bays without the bow was proposed in 1802, and built before 1809. This evolved as a deep-eaved villa with sheer walls in the dark grey granite of the place. Two secondary wings of 1834 of matching design, attaching the house to a second walled garden, are by Hansom & Welch. Around the main house is an iron veranda dating to before 1834, perhaps an afterthought to relieve its plainness, and of such a bold scale as to suggest the hand of Bromfield again. Its openwork supports have oversize anthemion motifs are were stamped at the Victoria Foundry, Pwllheli.

Source: Haslam, Orbach and Voelcker (2009), The Buildings of Wales: Gwynedd. Pevsner Architectural Guide, page 471.

RCAHMW, October 2009

Associated sites: The Garden at Nanhoron (Nprn86420).