Wallog House is a 19th Century Mansion, situated on coast between Clarach and Borth, at the end of a narrow lane from a minor road linking Borth and Llangorwen. It forms part of a wider farmstead comprising the house, stable (NPRN 708004) and garden (NPRN 265081). A nearby limekiln (NPRN 40656) and quay (NPRN 800161) are also likely to be associated with it.

The name (G)Wallog comes from an early Welsh poem and with the nearby names of Cynfelin and Gwyddno create an interesting trio of names from Welsh Legend (Morgan 2008, 187).

The house is sited close to the foreshore and faces out to sea overlooking Sarn Cynfelin. It is noted as being the closest to the sea of any country house in the county (Morgan 2008, 187).

The house dates to the early 19th century, emerging out of the old Rhoscellan Estate between Aberystwyth and Borth (Morgan 2005, 189). Two fisherman’s cottages were demolished to make way for the house (Charles-Jones et al 2000, 271). It appears on the Tithe Map of Llanbadarn Fawr, dated 1845, and is noted as occupied by James Morice and owned by Williams Matthew Davies. The tithe and later first edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey Map (1861-1895) show a L-plan house, with an additional building aligned east to west 12 metres to the south of it. This had been demolished by the second edition Ordnance Survey map of 1905. By this date the house had also been enlarged with the addition of its southern gable end. The formal garden and stable block had also been added, and the stream running to the north of the house had also been dammed, presumably to drive a turbine, possibly to provide electricity for the house (Information noted in the NMR site file: SN58NE). It is likely that these improvements took place after 1886 when Mr Francis, a Clapham grocer, brought the house from High Sheriff Col. George Griffiths Williams (Charles-Jones et al 2000, 271).

The farmstead was inherited by Basil Parry Griffiths from his uncle John Francis in 1918 and subsequently passed to the Evershed family in 1963.

Louise Barker, RCAHMW, August 2023

Sources:

Charles-Jones, C., Charles-Jones, H., Widgery L., 2000 The Francis Jones Historic Cardiganshire Homes and Their Families (Brawdy Books)

Morgan, G., 2005, Ceredigion: a wealth of History (Gomer)

Morgan, G., 2008, Ceredigion Coast Path from the Teifi to the Dyfi. Ceredigion Council Official Guide to the Coast Path

Lloyd, T., Orbach, J., Scourfield, R. 2006 The Buildings of Wales: Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (Pevsner Architectural Guides) pg 524.